


Persona 4: Simulacrum

by Reeny_Chan



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Epic Battles, F/M, Humor, Long, Mind Manipulation, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 261,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27876993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reeny_Chan/pseuds/Reeny_Chan
Summary: It has been six years since the fog was lifted from the town of Inaba, but a new fog clouds the minds of its residents. As Souji Seta returns from his long absence, he must find a way to free them or else lose the bonds of friendship forever.
Relationships: Amagi Yukiko/Seta Souji, Hanamura Yosuke/Satonaka Chie, Kujikawa Rise/Seta Souji, Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	1. They Say You Can Never Go Back

_I can see you've been busy, dear brother._

A snicker. _I can't let you win this one, can I? Getting nervous?_

_Hardly. They're stronger than you think._

_You keep saying that, but I've seen you watching them._

_I'm making sure you don't cheat again._

_Cheat? How can I cheat? You said anything goes!_

_I most certainly did not. I said you can try all your tricks. “Tricks” does not include taking a mortal's life._

_Death brings about the biggest strain in mortals, especially the death of loved ones. It's the true test._

_Be that as it may, no more killings._

A sigh. _Fine. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm going to win._

_That's not what it looks like to me._

A laugh. _Just wait until you see what I've got coming next._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 10, 2018

Souji Seta gazed out the window of the train as it sped toward its destination. It had been a long trip from America to this little corner of Japan, punctuated by the occasional stopover or semi-palatable meal from a terminal's fast food stand. He'd brought a couple books with him, but had no desire to read them, nor the ability to concentrate on their words. As soon as events would give his time back to himself, he'd continue daydreaming of days long gone, a school year colored with giddy highs and desperate lows. He had fallen in love that year, and for the first time in his life it had been real. It was also the first time he'd ever been really popular, and it had taught him how to come out of his shell, to really make friends and live life.

It had also taught him the courage to do the right thing, no matter who or what was against him. And yet, for some reason, he'd never had the courage to return. Not after that day. He had met his friends online, had spoken with them on the phone, had texted them often, at least in the first couple years afterward, but as time progressed he'd just gotten too busy with school, work, and his future. He had promised to return again, but every time he tried something had gotten in the way. Most of the time, it was his own urge to stay away. He couldn't explain it, but every time he'd thought about going back he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He was afraid to spend the money, or his classwork load was too heavy, or he didn't feel right taking the time off his job.

He had felt so badly about having to break his promise. Nanako in particular was disappointed every time he'd had to say he wasn't coming. He'd loved the little girl as his sister almost as long as he'd known her, and distance and time had not changed that. He knew that as she was getting older she was more used to family having to be away, for her father's penchant for working long hours had not changed even with his promotion to Police Lieutenant. She'd always been a remarkably independent girl, and despite him knowing how disappointed she was in not being able to see him in person, he knew she was strong and that his failures would not break her.

Sometimes he wondered if he was anywhere near as strong as she. Thinking back, he could see many times over the past three years when he could have found the time, could have _made_ the time, to come back if just for a weekend. His parents' jobs had kept him on the move before he turned 18, and yet he still visited at every opportunity. When he'd finally started college, he was already on the fast-track and found almost every free hour consumed with homework, studying, or working. College in the U.S. had been quite an experience; he had spent the first week learning the hard way just how tenuous his grip on English really was. Fixing that only added to his work and subtracted from the time he could spend communicating with his old friends back in Japan.

Before he knew it 19 had come and gone. Not long afterward 20 had arrived. It had passed so quickly that he hadn't even properly christened it with a drink. It would have had to have been with a fake ID, as the legal drinking age in the US was 21 instead of 20 as in Japan, but he was and always would be Japanese no matter his geographical location at any particular time.

That thought had struck home one day while he had finished one critical term paper just in time to start another in a long string of work for half a dozen advanced classes. At that moment he realized that, almost literally since he had first rejoined his parents, he had spent less and less time for himself, and even less than that for his friends. He had still kept contact with them, but on a less intimate basis than before. He eventually grew distant from even Yukiko, whose messages to him, and his messages to her, always ended with an uncomfortable-feeling “I love you.” They continued to do so during his extended absence, though by then it had become almost mechanical for him to tack it onto the end of every message, and to say it as they ended each phone conversation. Of course, they had learned soon enough that a long distance relationship was impossible, and that their love would no longer be of boyfriend and girlfriend but of good friends who still cherished each other, but even that seemed to have faded over the years. “I'll always love you,” she had said, and while he knew that love had changed over the years, the memory of it warmed his heart just when he needed it.

He blamed himself, especially when he had finally taken the time to think about how far away he'd kept himself from her, from them all. Of course, there was nowhere else to place the blame. He'd forgotten his courage, neglected to face his anxieties and simply chose to fade away from them. It was because of that that he'd decided to take a semester off from college, spend some of his savings, and return to the place he loved so much, and yet still brought a twitch of fear in the back of is mind whenever he thought of it.

Inaba.

Nanako, of course, had been thrilled at his call. Even six years after he'd moved away and six years of growing into young womanhood, she still cared deeply for her “Big Bro” and was excited to see him. He'd called everyone to tell them he was coming. Yosuke, arguably his best friend while he lived there, was still in Inaba, working full time as an assistant manager at the Junes department store while attending night classes at the community college. Teddie, their childlike, semi-human friend, had found living in the world behind the TV, no matter how idyllic, a little lonely and had returned to become Yosuke's roommate. After, of course, a lot of begging and false tears on Teddie's part.

Chie had graduated the police academy and was an officer on the Inaba police force, which had expanded in the years since Adachi's murder spree thanks to greater public awareness about the dangers faced even by a small rural town. And, of course, Yukiko was still there, now the full manager of the Amagi Inn. She had always been afraid that her abilities would not match up with her responsibilities, but from reading her messages and listening to her relay the day-to-day stories of the Inn, he could tell she had grown into the position quite well.

Kanji was still there, running the textile shop after his mother had passed away. The last time Souji had visited Inaba was for her funeral, but Kanji had not once spoken to him, and had barely _looked_ at him that day. He learned later that Kanji had distanced himself from everyone, even Naoto, with whom he had finally started a serious relationship. That had hurt the most, that nobody had been able to be there for his friend, especially because his friend brushed off the support. Souji had come to believe that was the first domino to fall on all his friendships in Inaba. It had taught him that the supposedly “unbreakable” bonds were far more delicate than he was led to believe.

Not everyone still lived in Inaba, of course. Rise rarely stayed in one place for long. She had made good on her promise to release an album, which became a surprise hit despite her long absence from the spotlight. By the time Souji had decided to make this trip she had already released her third, and spent most of her time on tour or on movie sets working on restoring her old career. He had bought every one of her albums and seen every one of her movies, and had been able to brag to his college buddies that he was good friends with “the” Risette. They, of course, hadn't the foggiest idea who she was, and cared even less after he explained. He liked Americans for the most part, but they seemed as cultureless as the Shadows he'd fought so long ago.

Naoto also spent a lot of time on the move, even though she still had a permanent home at the Shirogane estate near Inaba. After her involvement in solving the Adachi murders, her services were in sudden demand all across Japan. The last time he had spoken to her, about two years ago, she was both tired and exhilarated at the same time. She was no longer having to live up to the Shirogane name, nor having to pretend she was anyone other than who she was. She had _extended_ the meaning of the Shirogane name, and had become known herself as “Detective Shirogane”, a virtual household name in police forces nationwide replacing the old “Detective Prince” nickname. At least, that all was how Chie described it. Naoto, humble as always, had just said she did her job to the best of her abilities and, in taking to heart the lessons he had helped her learn, she had found herself able to stand on her own two feet and become more than just the cocky child prodigy his uncle had once called her.

He hadn't spoken with her much since the funeral. He could tell how much Kanji's pushing her away had hurt her, and several months later she confided in him that, as best she could describe, her relationship with Kanji simply _evaporated_ . Souji had kept in touch for a while longer, sharing their new adventures with each other, but even that faded from existence. She'd started missing his calls, only occasionally returning them, and eventually all his messages to her unanswered. He cared deeply for her, as he did with all his good friends, and had prayed she didn't blame him for what had happened between her and Kanji. The last time he spoke to Chie, not all that long ago, he learned the funeral was the last time Naoto had been to Inaba. She wasn't returning anyone's attempts to reach out to her. She simply disappeared, just the way Souji had felt like _he_ had been doing in the years hence.

Souji had other good friends from his time in Inaba as well, but found that his contact with them faded much more quickly than with his fellow members of the “Investigation Team”. Even Ai Ebihara, whom he had actually talked out of committing suicide from the school roof, stopped corresponding with him long before his last visit to the town.

It was just as well, he supposed. Looking back at himself, he saw a man growing increasingly driven and more and more selfish. He'd even started wondering if his friends would have just been better off forgetting about him altogether, going on with their own lives, and leaving him to go work himself to death like his parents were doing. Like his uncle Ryotaro was doing.

That thought depressed him a little. He was already becoming a workaholic, an affliction which seemed to run in his family. He only hoped Nanako learned to take time to enjoy life, something that Souji, even at 23, had apparently forgotten.

He wondered just what he expected out of meeting his old friends, the ones who were left, anyway. Could things be just like they were six years ago? Could they go out and eat a “Meat Dimension” bowl at Aiya or hang out at their “Special Headquarters”, the Junes food court? Could they meet for a few drinks, reminisce, and then separate for another three years? Was there anything really tying them together anymore, aside from an old murder case they had solved? Were the bonds of true friendship really that weak?

He gave a small laugh. Maybe they could venture into the TV World again, just explore it a far as they could walk, maybe even make a map of it. He laughed again. He was such a workaholic he was even coming up with ways he could make his friends work. Once in a great while, if just to remind himself that it all hadn't been a dream, he'd stick his hand into a TV set. Just like dipping it in lukewarm water. And yet, anymore it felt like a parlor trick; yes he could do it, and every once in a while it was good for a quick laugh, but what was the point? He wasn't close anymore with anyone who knew about it. He couldn't navigate while inside, and had no clue how large it was. Could he have met his friends inside, even if they entered into TVs that were a world apart? Would they have to cross thousands of miles of verdant forest and babbling brooks on foot? Just thinking about it had given him that same quiver in his stomach, and it had sapped his courage so much that he hadn't even tried to fully enter that world again.

Many times during his visits, he and Yukiko would steal away through the nearest large-screen television and just sit together in the paradise, enjoying the gentle sights and sounds and the deep love they shared. They did it so many times that Teddie, tired of having to “rescue” them every time, had taught them how to find their way out on their own. That only increased the frequency of their trips to the other world, walking barefoot through the dewy grass, holding each other close for hours on end in the shade of a great oak, under the eternal sunshine. He had even come within a breath of asking her to marry him one of those times.

He sighed. Now was not the time to depress himself further. This was supposed to be a happy time. He was finally going to see his friends. Rise had scheduled a special charity concert near Inaba just so she could be there. While none of them had heard from Naoto, he had left her a message to let her know he and Rise were coming, just stopping short of begging her to be there. She hadn't called him, and as of yesterday, nobody else had heard from her.

Through all his reverie he'd managed to deepen his sadness, and made a half-hearted attempt to force his mind away from it. He chose to remember the times they were all together and had nothing to do with the murder case. Hell, from Christmas through most of March that year there hadn't been any mystery to solve, and they'd been an inseparable group. “The Souji Crew” they'd called it at school, because the group had seemed to form around him. After he moved away everyone kept telling him how people at school, even those he hadn't really known, had thought about him, missed his presence, and wished him good fortune in the future. Shockingly, they hadn't equated him with the murder cases or the icy fog that had nearly swallowed them all whole; he was the school genius who was also a cool guy and the one everyone had wanted to be around because he didn't _know_ he was either a genius or a cool guy.

That always left him with mixed emotions. If only they'd known how insecure he always was. He was the team's Leader only by default, because he seemed to have the uncanny ability to bring about a consensus in the group even when they all disagreed on a particular course of action. Really, in retrospect, he was the blandest one of them all. Even when he'd let Yukiko dress him up for that ridiculous cross-dressing pageant, he had come out of it unmemorable. Few outside of “The Souji Crew” had ever remembered seeing him in drag, though to be fair that was a relief. Masculinity aside, he remembered that he'd made a terribly ugly girl.

Souji focused on a water tower about a mile away, slowly crawling past his field of view out the window. He sighed. He realized that the reason he worked so hard all the time was because, when he wasn't working, he was thinking. And when he thought, those thoughts invariably turned inward. He was never much of an outgoing person, and though that had changed a little after his time living in Inaba, everywhere he went he was still known as “the quiet one”. For some reason people had been drawn to him, though he'd been told it was the “mysterious air” he had about him or his abilities as a “natural leader”. He never understood it, and doubted he ever would.

“ _Yasoinaba Station, five minutes. Passengers please prepare to debark.”_

That was music to his ears. Not so much that he was arriving; he was, in fact, still quite nervous about seeing everyone again. It was just the fact that he now had something to do that didn't involve thinking or trying to concentrate. He'd become quite good at entertaining himself by looking inward, turning over stones and seeing what old insecurities and self-reproaches crawled out. It was “entertaining” in the loosest sense of the word, at least. It staved off boredom, replacing it with old pains that refused to leave.

He had one bag for his belongings, mostly clothes, but also the keepsakes that his friends over the years had given him. He had mailed another package, containing more clothes, directly to Dojima's house so he wouldn't have to lug it with him on the entire trip. Everything else, which wasn't really much, was in a storage facility back in the US while his dorm room at Ohio State University had been reassigned to some other poor workaholic of a student.

He felt himself lurching toward the front of the train and heard the whine of the engine decrease in pitch. Soon the floor was rattling and he could hear the squealing through the floorboards as the brakes were applied. He remembered the scenery outside very well, having taken this trip so many times before, even though this was his first in years. The first time he'd ever seen these sights was his arrival, back in '11, when he was nervous and withdrawn, and not particularly interested in taking in the sights of the sleepy town he was being forced to call home for an entire year.

The second time was his departure, when he was watching his friends chase the train down, wishing he could be on the other side of the glass with them, staying in Inaba forever instead of having to move back to the city with his parents. Why couldn't they have moved to Inaba? It wasn't like their work tied them down to the city. Of course, he knew the answer: they needed to be able to go anywhere in the world at short notice. It was a two hour train ride from Inaba to anywhere with an airport large enough to handle intercontinental flights, and their work simply would not afford such a disconnect. He had resented it at first, and then come to accept it. They were such hard workers, after all, so he could have the opportunities he had without having to worry about going without, without having to worry about settling for less than the best when it came to his future.

He had repeated the trip so many times after that, enjoying the arrival far more than the departure. This time though, was more like that first arrival. He was nervous all over again, like the 16-year old spending his first extended time away from his parents. Not resentful, but afraid of what and who he would find. How he would explain himself for having been away for so long. How he could justify it without insulting whom had been the best friends he'd ever had in life. The ones who had saved his life more times than he sometimes though he deserved.

The train had slowed to a crawl and was already at the terminal. He scanned the sparse crowd, looking for the face of the “Little Sis” he'd seen grow from a girl to a young woman in photographs and e-mailed videos. Or, at least he'd be able to see Ryotaro Dojima, who always stuck out like a sore thumb. If there was a stereotypical police detective, Ryotaro-san was it. Tall, with unruly hair and two-day-old chin stubble. Even when Dojima was in a crowd he was outside it, observing it, looking for deviations and dangers from which he'd have to protect everyone else.

No Nanako. No Ryotaro. The train had pulled to a halt and its passengers were exiting. He hoisted his bag over his shoulder and stepped onto the concrete platform. He looked around again. No Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, or anyone else he knew. No voice crying, “Big Bro!” Just the jumbled voices of a dozen or so conversations in the open air terminal.

He checked his watch. 13:52. The train had arrived seven minutes late. They knew what time he was due to arrive. They wouldn't have simply left because the train hadn't arrived right on the nose. Would they?

He exited the terminal and descended the stairway to the street. Nobody he knew. Not even Ryotaro's car. Of course, he realized that his uncle very well could have bought a new one in the past few years, but it was very disconcerting. He was trying to build himself up into a cheerfulness he had felt very rarely since leaving Inaba that first time, but even that was bleeding away in the flushing of his skin, the slight quivering of his stomach as he realized that, without someone he knew being here, he was more or less stranded.

No, of course he wasn't stranded. He saw the bus stop just a couple dozen meters from where he stood. He walked over to the small group standing there, taking one last look for a familiar face and listening for a familiar voice. After several minutes the bus arrived and he was on board, having paid the fare and found a seat between a dozing old woman and a man listening to his headphones a little too loudly. For a split second he'd hoped that was Yosuke, but no, it was just some random kid.

He wasn't sure whether to be depressed or insulted. He was surprised that his friends and family would be so callous as to leave him to make his own way from the train station to Inaba proper. That got him thinking, which was something he really didn't want to do. Could he have insulted them by taking so long to visit? Was this payback for his three-year absence?

No, surely not. He had known his friends here to be many things, but spiteful was not one of them. But the question remained: where were they?

The bus had reached the stop near the Dojima residence within ten stops and twenty minutes. He stepped off the bus, his legs feeling at least a little rubbery just from the nerves that had slowly spread across his body the more he had thought. Suppose he had missed them at the station. Wouldn't they have called? Then his stomach sank. _He_ should have called _them_ before jumping to the conclusion that they'd forgotten him. He pulled out his phone and checked it. No missed calls. No voicemails. No text messages. Five bars of signal.

He just didn't get it. Could he have told them the wrong day? Whatever happened, he at least needed to call them to let them know where he was. He could see Dojima's house just down the street. It would be rude of him to show up unannounced, especially if he'd managed to screw up the day of his arrival.

This was a new phone, but whenever he replaced a phone he religiously transferred every single number to the new one, never deleting or omitting any of them. There were almost a hundred entries in his address book now, but he prided himself that, once someone gave him their number, he never lost it.

He scrolled through the “D” section until he found “Dojima-Inaba(home)”, between “Dojima-Inaba(cell)”, Ryotaro's cell phone, and “Dojima-Kyoto(home)”, his maternal grandmother's number. He selected it and pressed the speaker icon.

He waited. It took a little longer than usual to give a response. He frowned. He should have heard the phone ring on the other side by now.

Three rising tones. “ _I'm sorry, that number is no longer in service. If you need assistance, please dial your operator.”_

That was strange. Hadn't he just called that number the day before to confirm his arrival? He ended the call and checked his call history. There was the entry “Dojima-Inaba(home)”, showing as an outbound call at 16:00 on 9/6/18. _I did call,_ he thought, remembering the conversation. _I did confirm that I'd be here today. I spoke with Nanako, and Ryotaro-san got home while we were talking, and I said I'd be arriving today at 13:45, according to the train ticket I got online. Nanako sounded so excited it was like she was a little girl all over again. I thought she might have been jumping up and down all over the house._ Could he have completely messed up in buying his ticket and ended up in another town? He couldn't remember exactly what the conductor had said when the train arrived at the station. Could it have been something that sounded like “Inaba” if you weren't paying attention?

He looked past the houses toward the town's center. If there was another Inaba, it was a dead ringer for the one he intended to visit. He shrugged and scrolled down to “Dojima-Inaba(cell)”. Ryotaro-san had told him only to use this number in case of emergencies, since it was provided by the police for official use. At the moment, though, he was starting to wonder if this was indeed an emergency. Why would nobody be at the station to meet him? Why was Dojima's home number disconnected? If Ryotaro-san became cross with him for calling his work phone, Souji could just offer to pay for the minutes.

He sighed and pressed the speaker icon. Another excessively long pause. Another set of rising tones. “ _I'm sorry, that number is no longer in service. If you need...”_ He pressed the “X” button to end the call. That was weird. His uncle was never without his work phone. He slept with it, ate with it, probably bathed with it. Souji chuckled a little. _Maybe he got it wet in the shower._

His mirth vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “No longer in service” meant the account had been closed. And not just his personal home number, but his work-provided mobile number as well. Something very strange was going on.

Doing his best to quash the butterflies in his stomach, he walked down the street and up to the Dojimas' door. It was a Sunday afternoon, so there was at least the possibility somebody would be home. If not – well, he'd figure that out afterward.

He rapped on the door and waited. Nothing. He rapped again, and this time heard a shuffling from inside. Through the frosted glass he could see something moving within. He straightened up just as the door opened.

There stood his “Little Sis”, not so little now. She was just a head shorter than he, her hair split into twin ponytails at either side of her head, but there was no mistaking the face, the eyes. She'd changed so much since he last saw her in person like this. She had grown from a beautiful young girl into a beautiful young woman, and her photos had done her little justice.

They had also shown nothing of her new look. She had on black lipstick and dark eyeshadow, and was clad in a black T-shirt and floor-duster pants. Her fingernails and the toenails of her bare feet were painted black, the polish chipped and missing in places.

“Yes?” Nanako asked, her eyes half-open but her eyebrows raised in irritated indifference.

“Um – Nanako?”

Her eyebrows lowered. “Can I help you?”

Souji opened his mouth, but his words couldn't find their way out.

Nanako rolled her eyes. “Beat it.” She started to close the door.

“No, wait,” Souji finally said. “Nanako – it's...it's me. Souji. You know, Big Bro?”

“Souji who?”

“Um, Seta. Your cousin.”

Nanako tilted her head back, as if in recognition. “Oh, Seta as in Aunt Hiromi Seta?”

“Y-yeah, my mother.” He tilted his head. “Don't you – remember me?”

She lowered her head, though in more indifference than of respect. Or, from the look of her eyes, Souji thought, maybe her head was just too heavy. She shrugged. “Can't say I do.”

Souji was flabbergasted. He couldn't even begin to place a thought as to what was happening before him. “But, um...we just talked. Yesterday. Before my flight. I talked to you and your dad. I said I was coming back for a visit.”

“Back, huh? Like, when were you ever here in the first place?”

“A few years ago,” Souji said, his voice rising an octave. “How can you not remember me? I lived here with you and your dad six years ago.”

Nanako raised an eyebrow, but her upper eyelids held their vigil hovering halfway over her lower ones. “Yeah, okay. Well, Souji Seta, if that's your real name, it's been nice to see you, now go find someone else to mooch room and board off of.” She started closing the door and turned away.

Souji stuck his foot in the door, and when the door hit his shoe he saw Nanako's head snap toward him and, for the first time, her eyes widened. Despite her youth and smaller stature compared to him, he started to feel some fear of her. He couldn't be sure how much of her expression was anger and how much surprise, but he thought he was at least good enough at reading people to know it was mostly anger. Still, he had to get through to her somehow. “Listen – where's your dad? I just talked to him this morning.”

He heard a metallic tapping on the other side of the door and saw Nanako's fist tighten on the doorknob. “He's at work. He's always at work. He hasn't left work in four days. If you know him, you probably know he's a police lieutenant, right? Well, he taught me how to use this.” Her other hand appeared from behind the door, holding an aerosol can whose nozzle she immediately stuck in his face. “Pepper spray,” she continued, her voice even and frightening. “Now you can either get the hell out of here or you can cry like a baby while I burn your eyes out. One...”

Souji jumped back and then scrambled to keep from tripping over his own feet. The door slammed hard enough to jostle the wind chimes hanging from the awning. He thought he heard a loud curse word through the door, and hearing it in Nanako's voice only added to his shock.

He backed away stiffly toward the sidewalk. That couldn't have been Nanako, could it? Despite her new fashion sense she looked just like the most recent photos he'd seen of her. But, in those photos she'd looked happy, fulfilled, cheerful. This Nanako, the one he'd just met, looked jaded, angry with the world, and from the redness of her eyes, he suspected she'd recently been smoking some illicit drug. While the voice sounded familiar it lacked the joy he'd heard just yesterday. Where was Little Sis? That sure wasn't her. Could his absence, his repeatedly disappointing her, have caused such a reaction toward him?

No, he knew, that was just too farfetched. She wouldn't have changed like this in less than a day. Something had to be going on.

Maybe it was some kind of nightmare. He'd been trapped in illusions before, but this felt like none of them. Ever since he'd fought Izanami, ever since the Persona Izanagi-no-Okami had entered his soul, he'd felt a clarity of perception that he'd never before imagined. But he had seen this Nanako as clear as day, and still she was like some twisted version of the girl he knew. Could something that happened in the past day possibly have caused such a change in her?

He had to find out for himself. He wasn't going to let two non-working phone numbers keep him from his promise, no matter how discouraging her attitude toward him was. The problem was, if he couldn't stay at the Dojima residence, he'd have to find somewhere else for the time being. He couldn't run around town carrying all his belongings in a shoulder bag.

There was one place he knew he could go. She'd always promised him a room any time he was in town, even though he had always stayed with Ryotaro and Nanako. This time, though, it was time to take her up on that offer. He hiked back uphill to the bus station, his legs feeling stronger now with his new sense of purpose. Whatever happened to Nanako, he'd save her from it.

After about ten minutes the bus arrived and he boarded, managing to find a seat all to himself. He remembered this bus route pretty well, even after being away for six years. Three stops, and then he'd be at the Amagi Inn.


	2. A Disconnect Reconnecting

“Welcome to the Amagi Inn. How may I help you?”

Souji stepped up to the counter and the mild-faced young woman draped in a blue kimono. She looked to be around his age, maybe a few years older, and was flashing a smile filled with slightly cigarette-stained teeth. He smiled back. “Hi, I'm a friend of Yukiko Amagi. Is she here?”

“Togashi-san is busy right now, can I help you?”

Souji tilted his head. “No, I'm sorry, I need to speak with  _ Yukiko Amagi _ , please. Her family owns the inn.”

The woman nodded. “Yes, sir. Yukiko Togashi is the manager. Togashi-san married last year.”

Souji stared at the young woman for several seconds. That couldn't be true. Could it? “Oh. Well – um, Yukiko...Togashi?” He paused for a few more seconds. “She's – married. Last year?”

The woman nodded again, this time more slowly, with one eyebrow working its way up her forehead. “Yes,” she said, the word drawn out.

Souji felt short of breath. He thought back over the past year and his communication with her. He remembered that she'd been a little distant over the past year.  _ You idiot,  _ he scolded himself,  _ she was distant because you were. _ Why hide this, though? If she knew he was coming, why not tell him? While they had eventually agreed they couldn't maintain a romantic relationship over such a long separation, weren't they still friends? Wouldn't she have invited him to the wedding? Or was she worried he wouldn't come back for her wedding? Or ever again, for that matter? The heartache he had been feeling since the train ride grew so much more.

“Sir, are you all right?”

He returned from his thoughts to see that a line had started to form behind him. He needed to get this over with so he could have a secluded place to just think for a few minutes. “Yeah, yeah, um...do you have a room available?”

“Single?”

“Apparently,” he said quickly. To her furrowed brow he said, “Oh, the room. Yeah, single's fine.”

She typed away at her computer. Souji pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket and handed her his credit card. She accepted the card from him and said, “That'll be 15,000 per night, or 90,000 for seven days.”

Souji silently gasped and almost dropped his wallet as he tried to slip it back into his pocket. Fifteen  _ thousand  _ yen? He didn't really want to put so much on his credit card, but then again, he was basically homeless if he couldn't somehow get ahold of his uncle before the coming evening. At the rate things were going, there wasn't much chance of that. And if worse came to worse, he'd need the room for more than one night. He could always ask Yukiko to cut him a break when he saw her.  _ Togashi-san _ , he thought grimly, and sighed. “Seven days, please.”

“Very good, sir.” He could hear his bank account draining with every keytap. She tapped the digital pad with one long-nailed finger and he signed it. Finally, she handed him back his credit card and a small keycard. “Here you are, Seta-san, room seventeen.” She pointed down the corridor to the right. “Take the first left and follow to the end. The hot springs are straight down the other hallway, and the gymnasium is to the left. Can I get you anything?”

_ Some answers would be nice _ , he thought as he slipped his wallet, the keycard and his credit card into his pants pocket. His hand brushed the leather keychain Yukiko had given him their first Christmas Eve, the only one they had been able to spend in the same room together. Yukiko's responsibilities had greatly increased after he first left, and every Christmas hence she spent working at the inn. Still, they had spoken to each other every single Christmas, and had always exchanged gifts even if by parcel post. It was the first gift she had given him that he had cherished the most, not the keychain itself, but what it signified: the love that they had shared all those times together. So great had that love been that he had almost asked her to marry him. It seemed like a lifetime ago...and now she was some other man's wife.

“Sir, is everything all right?”

Souji snapped his gaze back to the clerk. He forgot what she'd asked him before. His mind felt to fogged up. “No – um, yes, everything's fine. Could you please, uh, just tell Am – I mean, Togashi-san, that Souji Seta is here?” Referring to Yukiko by another man's family name left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Is she expecting you, sir?”

“Yes,” he said. “I spoke to her on the phone yesterday.”

The woman bowed her head. “I'll pass along the message.”

Souji bowed back, slightly. “Thank you.” He walked away from the counter and headed in the direction of his room. And continued heading toward it for almost a full minute. The room was about as far away from the hot springs as one could get. He shuddered to think how much it would have cost for one closer to the Amagi Inn's main attraction. When he finally reached it he slid his keycard into the slot at the door and pulled it open as the lock clicked. He slipped inside and gently placed his bag on the floor, trying to force himself to remain calm.

The room was quite small, though the decor gave it a feel that it – well, wasn't  _ quite _ so small. The look of the room brought back quite a few pleasant memories and he smiled a little. Yukiko had once told him, “ _ There are no cheap rooms at the Amagi Inn.” _ Of course, he hadn't bothered to think she might have meant that literally. “Ninety thousand.” he sighed. It was going to take him a while to pay that off, especially adding in the interest. He wished that were his biggest concern.

There was a robe hanging on the wall, for use in the hot springs. He stripped off his clothes and put on the robe. He had no real desire to use the springs, but he  _ really _ needed a shower. Between the heat of the June day and the funk of spending almost twenty four hours on planes and trains, he felt positively filthy. Besides, maybe a shower would relax him enough to take a fresh perspective on his situation. It wasn't every day your cousin, a “Little Sis” in all but name, treated you like a vagrant. It wasn't every day your ex-girlfriend, whom you still loved very much, turned out to have been married for over a year without you even knowing it.

Consequently, he had become a mess inside and out. He grabbed his room key and headed out into the corridor toward the nearest men's bathing room. At least he could clean up the external mess.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He returned ten minutes later, feeling only a little more refreshed than he had been before the shower. The best he had achieved was that his anxiety had subsided from stomach quivers to a general sense of unease. He tossed the robe into the hamper with his clothes from earlier and glided, naked, over to his bag. He had a couple changes of clothes, both casual, so he selected the first outfit and put it on.

There was no television in the room, but he wasn't really in the mood to watch TV anyway. All he really wanted was to find out what was going on. He sat on the futon and rubbed his eyes, trying to force himself to visualize all that he had observed since arriving in Inaba, sort it into nice easy packages for digestion. Nobody had met him at Yasoinaba Station. Ryotaro's phones weren't working. Nanako, who didn't even recognize him, nearly sprayed him with mace.

He rubbed his forehead. Yukiko was married. She hadn't told him. He didn't even  _ know _ anyone named “Togashi”. She was Yukiko Togashi now. This wasn't very helpful for his logical analysis. His loneliness was palpable, a python slithering its way out of his navel and wrapping him in its embrace of death.

Every voice he'd heard today had ranged from disinterested to purely hostile. He looked at his cell phone on the table, right where he'd left it. He'd left that message for Yukiko at the front desk, but he needed to hear her right now. Married or no, she was still his friend and would always be special to him. She could remind him why he was here in the first place. And maybe, just maybe, she could tell him what had happened over the past few years to drive her to the altar with another man.

_ Stop it, Souji _ , he thought.  _ You were going your own way, and she was going hers. It wasn't fair to try and make her wait for you. _ He took a second to quash his jealousy and then picked up his phone. He hit his first speed dial number, which had been Yukiko's since the day she'd first given him her number. There was a pause, then three rising tones. “ _ I'm sorry, that number is no longer in service. If you need assistance, please dial your operator. I'm sorry, that number is no longer in service...” _

His fingers and toes grew cold and his joints locked as he listened to the recording two more times. It finally cut him off and disconnected the call, but he kept the phone to his ear as if there were more to come.  _ No, that just can't can't be. I just called her on that number yesterday. _ But then he'd also called his uncle on his now-disconnected home phone yesterday.

He pressed the second speed dial number, his parents' home number. Another pause, another three rising tones. “ _ We're sorry, all circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.” _

He flipped the phone shut and pressed it to his forehead. Was he in Hell? Had Izanami come back and somehow trapped him in his own private purgatory, in revenge for him breaking her grip on humanity?

He opened the phone again and pressed and held the Service button. After a few seconds:“ _ Thank you for calling Shijicom. For questions about billing, please press...”  _ He pressed 0, interrupting the recording. “ _ Thank you. Please wait while I transfer your call." _ The company's annoying jingle played for a little while as he grew more and more restless. “Come on, come on, just let me talk to someone.”

The looping tune brought to mind the Junes jingle that he'd heard so many times on TV and in the store itself: “Every day's great at your Junes!” He could hear Nanako singing it, her naïve, childish joy a ray of light in a dark time. If this all were real and not some kind of illusion, he wondered what could have happened to such a cheerful little girl to suddenly turn her so miserable. Suddenly, in the space of one day...

There was a ringing chime in his ear, and then: “ _ Thank you for calling Shijicom, my name is Hiroshi, operator number 63794. For quality purposes this call may be recorded. May I have your name please?” _

Souji sighed in relief. At least somewhere out in telephone land there was another human being. “Souji Seta.”

“ _ For security purposes, could you please confirm your billing address?” _

Souji gave his parents' home address.

“ _ Thank you Seta-san, how may I assist you today?” _

How  _ could _ he assist? Souji had more or less just called to see if his phone worked. Now that he knew, though, what next? It then dawned on him; could all the failed calls just be a problem with his own phone? “Yeah, um – I guess – have I had any interruptions in my service?”

“ _ Have you experienced any dropped calls or call failures?” _

“Yeah, but I mean, has my service been shut off for some reason?”

He heard a few keytaps. “ _ No, sir, I'm showing your account as current and active. No service disconnections in your account history.” _

Souji frowned. “Well, I've tried calling three numbers from my phonebook and for every one I'm getting a 'number disconnected' message. Two of them are cell numbers, but one's a land line in Inaba. Then I tried calling my parents' number in Tokyo, but I got an 'all circuits busy' recording.”

“ _ Well, sir, we unfortunately have no control over circuits being busy. There was probably just a larger than normal call volume in the system at that time. When did you get the 'all circuits busy' recording?” _

Souji shook his head reflexively, despite knowing the person on the other end couldn't see him. “That's not really important. What I'm worried about is the numbers that are out of service.”

“ _ Well, your phonebook entries may be out of date. Have you tried any numbers you know are working?” _

“Just the one to Tokyo,” Souji said. “But these numbers all worked yesterday. How could they all be out of service today?”

“ _ Just a moment.” _ There were more keytaps. “ _ I'm not seeing any reported service failures in the Inaba area. Wait, you said one was a land line?” _

“Yes,” Souji said. “At least, I'm pretty sure it is.”

“ _ Well sir, um, I'm not sure how to explain it. It may just be that those numbers are disconnected.” _

_ No shit, _ Souji thought. “Can you look them up to see if they're valid numbers?” Souji asked.

“ _ No sir, I'm sorry. I don't have the ability to do that. If you'd like, I can transfer you to our technical support. They should be able to submit a trouble report for the Inaba area and see if there's a system problem that hasn't been reported yet.” _

Souji sighed. He'd learned that his phone was working, and that he could actually speak to a person using it. He doubted he'd get anywhere further with these people. He supposed it was possible that there was a problem with the phone system overall, as this operator has suggested, but that still wouldn't explain Nanako. “No, that's fine, thanks.” He hung up and set the phone back down. He slid from the futon onto on the floor. He couldn't work this out now; he wasn't calm enough to look at things objectively, and if he'd learned anything from the Izanami case it was that you needed to have a calm mind if you wanted to get to the truth.

A gentle knock at his door snapped him out of the miasma. He stood slowly and stepped over to the door. Looking through the peephole, he felt much of the stress lift off his shoulders almost immediately.

She was just as he remembered, though her cheeks were just a little less round. The same big, beautiful brown eyes, her tiny lips drawn into a polite smile. The dark bangs covering her forehead, the slight bow to her head she always had, showing respect to everyone she met. All was forgotten in that moment, and he felt as he did years ago when he'd gazed into those eyes, smelled that hair, kissed those lips. He pulled the door open.

“Seta-san,” Yukiko said, bowing fully. “The front desk left a message you wanted to see me.”

Her formality brought his nostalgia to a screeching halt. Of course, this was Yukiko  _ Togashi _ at his door.  _ But...”Seta-san”? _ “Um, yes,” he managed.

She stared at him for several seconds. “How can I help you, sir?”

_ No. Oh please, no. _ “Yukiko? Don't you recognize me?”

Yukiko tilted her head. “I'm sorry, sir, I don't.”

_ Please, no. _ “But – we spoke on the phone yesterday. It's me, Souji.”

Yukiko shook her head. “I'm sorry, sir, you must have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Yukiko Togashi. I'm the inn manager.”

She looked at him as she would a stranger. He couldn't just let this go. She couldn't have forgotten him, despite the distance that had grown between them. Not after all they'd shared. “Seven years ago, we were in Morooka's class together. You remember, the year of the murders?”

Yukiko's cheeks turned just the slightest red. She bowed her head a tiny bit more. “I - I'm sorry, I don't recognize you. But it's - good to meet an old classmate.” She offered him a polite smile, which hurt him more than if she had cursed his name. She then raised her head and returned to her more formal tone. “Hot spring number 2 will be available for men's use at 15:00. If there's anything else you need, please dial 0 and we will be happy to help you.” She bowed once more. “Thank you for choosing the Amagi Inn, and we hope to make your stay pleasant and restful.” She turned and walked back down the hall.

Souji watched as she left, as if she were in a hurry to be somewhere. Or, maybe, in a hurry to be away from him. She didn't even  _ want  _ to talk to him. It was like he was some stranger paying for a room in her inn and taking up her valuable time with pointless questions. For the briefest of seconds he considered going after her, but shock kept him in the room.

First Nanako, now Yukiko. His theory about being in a personal Hell seemed more and more likely every moment he lived it.

He had other friends he could probably find, but would it even matter? One friend forgetting him could have been from some kind of accident. Yukiko forgetting him was a disaster. Had he really meant so little to either of them? What could make his Little Sis and the woman he'd loved push him out of their minds so thoroughly? He had other friends in Inaba, and while he felt bad for it, those friendships seemed hollow if he couldn't at least see Yukiko smile, happy to see him after all these years.

_ Wait, stop a second, _ he ordered himself.  _ This is just too weird. Like it's a nightmare or something _ . He put his right thumb and forefinger tip-to-tip on his left forearm and rolled the fingernails together, snagging some of his skin in between. There was a little dull pain at first, but it grew the harder he pinched.

Finally, when he felt the nails sink into his flesh, he stopped. Two thin cuts were left in his forearm, and they started filling with blood. The stinging lingered in the area.  _ This isn't a dream _ , he thought.  _ Somehow, it's real _ . He took a step back and closed the door.  _ Okay, think about this. There's no way that Nanako or Yukiko could forget about you in one day. It's just impossible. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and think. Suppose it was just one of them? Maybe that would make sense, if they'd been in an accident or something. But both of them? No, something's up. More than just me being gone so long. Something's up. _

He started pacing the room.  _ What if this isn't the real Inaba? What if it's another world, like the TV World? But how does that make sense? The TV World had Shadows, but there weren't any copies of people until people went into that world from this one. _ Nanako had been too young to have a Shadow self when she'd been sent into the TV. Had that girl at the house been Nanako's  _ Shadow _ , not Nanako herself?

_ But that wasn't Yukiko's Shadow,  _ he thought.  _ Not even close. It was just  _ her –  _ without  _ me _. _ Without him. That meant something, though he couldn't be sure what. Yukiko without him was still the manager of the inn, but she was married. Nanako without him was suspicious and borderline violent. Was this some alternate world where he'd never moved to Inaba?

There was one way to find out. If this was the real Inaba, Teddie would be here. They'd only found Teddie because Souji had the power to bring them into the TV, into the world where Teddie lived. If Teddie  _ wasn't _ here, then this was some other world. If Teddie  _ was _ here... He paused. If Teddie was here, then what?

_ He's not fully human, he's a Shadow. If it's some kind of memory thing, maybe it's not affecting Teddie. And if it's not...if it's not, maybe he and I can figure this out together. _

Never had he so longed for the company of another. Teddie, who had always called him Sensei, was not the brightest individual, but of anybody, he would surely have stayed loyal to Souji. Teddie had once managed to find his way through the Shadow World's thick fog into the Velvet Room to meet him. If he could do that, surely no weird amnesia spell could wipe Souji from his mind.

His course was decided, and it gave him a moment of renewed confidence. The last he knew Teddie was working at Junes. From what Yosuke had told him, he did it mostly for the ice cream. This being a nice hot Sunday afternoon in June, Teddie was probably there and taking full advantage of it. If there was even a chance that Teddie was in this world and would know him, he had to try. Right now it was the only way he knew to go.

He scooped up his cell phone and slipped it in his pocket. He then set his bag on the table and started rummaging through it. He pulled out several items and spread them out before him.

The wristband Chie had given him. The “Buddy Bandage” from Yosuke. The wrist strap from Kanji. The “detective” badge from Naoto. The signed photo of Rise. They were all reminders of what he'd let slip through his fingers. Perhaps that was what let happen – whatever it was that was happening to his friends. Maybe, though, these things would give him the strength of heart to cut through the new, invisible fog that seemed to live inside his friends' minds. At the very least, he hoped they would give him the strength to do what he had to. He slipped Chie and Kanji's gifts onto either wrist and pinned the badge to the inside of his jacket. He put the remaining items into his jacket pocket and left the room.

His stomach growled a little as he made the trek back toward the front door, and he realized he hadn't eaten since that morning. He had absolutely no appetite, though he knew that going without food would only weaken his body and his resolve. The last time he'd skipped too many meals because of stress he'd ended up having a full-blown panic attack in front of half his dorm. It hadn't subsided until after one of his friends practically forced a meal down his throat.

And yet he felt like the worst person in the world, thinking about food while he was knee-deep in something that had robbed his friends of their memories, possibly of their very lives as they knew them. Something else occurred to him as he had that thought. What it Yukiko wasn't really married? What if it was a delusion that was part of the mind-wipe that had affected her? He chewed some skin from the inside of his cheek.  _ Maybe, though the clerk would be having the same delusion. _ Was that so far-fetched, really? If this all had a supernatural origin – well, he'd seen much stranger things.

This wasn't the time to speculate about that, though. Hopefully that answer would reveal itself shortly. His stomach growled again, and a smile crept onto his lips as he remembered something Chie had once said to him:

“You can't do good work on an empty stomach!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The tune sounded familiar, though it had apparently been jazzed up a little over the years. The Junes muzak tune blaring through the speakers was perhaps even cheesier than it was seven years ago, when the Investigation Team would sit in the food court, making plans and deductions and deciding how best to rescue those that had been thrown into the Shadow World. Looking back, that time had been dark not just for them or for Inaba, but for the world. Had they failed, who knows how long it would have been until the fog returned and covered the entire world?

Despite the seriousness of what they were doing, he remembered just how much  _ fun _ it all was. Yes, they were risking their lives, and could have died at any time, dooming the world to an eternal fog and humans to life as oblivious Shadows. But they were together, they had a singular purpose, children who felt invincible and took the risks they did because they thought nobody else could.

Nobody else  _ could _ . Only they had the power and the will to stop what Izanami had put into motion.

_ God, that jingle's getting annoying, _ he thought, as the muzak looped for the tenth time since he'd sat down.  _ No wonder Yosuke always wore headphones.  _ He chewed on his roast pork, somewhat flavorful but a little tough, and took a gulp of orange soda to send it down to his stomach. Junes' food had obviously not changed much. Souji was glad he hadn't taken a part-time job there when he'd lived in Inaba; they might have destroyed his ability to cook anything well.

It took him about ten minutes to finish his lunch When he was done he pushed himself away from the table, returned the dishes to the counter, and spent a minute wandering the court. He saw neither the dome-headed mascot, nor the bright blue-eyed  _ bishounen _ who often hid inside it. Given the heat, though, he wasn't surprised Teddie would have retreated into the cool air conditioning inside. As he stepped inside himself, he felt a chill as the sweat that had collected on his skin started evaporating in the drier air.

He meandered through the grocery section, paying special attention to the frozen foods aisle. There was a decently-large crowd in the store, but he was sure he could pick out either of Teddie's forms. So far, nothing.

He made it past the grocery section into office supplies, scanning down each aisle as he passed them, before a voice behind him said, “Can I help you find something, sir?”

He turned around to see Yosuke, his hair cut a little shorter than the last time they'd met, and wearing a wireless radio headset with a microphone instead of what used to be his usual music headphones. Souji glanced down at his shirt and saw the nametag:

**Yosuke** **  
** **Assistant Manager**

“Uh, I'm fine,” Souji said. “Just...looking for a friend.”

Yosuke nodded. “Meeting someone? Usually folks meet up at the food court.”

“Already ate,” Souji said. “He, um, he's shopping.”

“Okay. If there's anything we can help you with, we have courtesy phones at the end of every other aisle.” Yosuke then walked away, cupping his hand over the earphone. Souji thought he heard him speaking again, presumably to someone on the other end of the radio.

Souji needed no further confirmation that something was very wrong in Inaba, but Yosuke had just given it to him. Still, it only confirmed that he needed to speak with Teddie right away. For a second he considered chasing after Yosuke and asking him to call Teddie for him, but decided it was best to keep as low a profile as possible for now. No point in drawing too much attention to himself just yet.

He continued wandering, and as he neared the housewares section he finally caught sight of the round, blue-furred creature. He was holding a bundle of balloon strings in one hand, handing a balloon to a young child while a woman Souji presumed was her mother stood by, smiling dotingly. After the child had hugged Teddie and she and her mother continued on their way, Souji approached the bulbous form who had already started prancing in his general direction.

“Good afternoon, sir. Are you enjoying your day at Junes?”

It was definitely Teddie's voice. His incessant, naïve cheerfulness practically shone through the false head of his bear costume. “Teddie?”

“Huh? Uh, that's me! Teddie!” He gestured to the nametag pinned to his costume. “I'm beary pleased to meetcha!”

_ At least Teddie's bad puns haven't changed, _ Souji thought. “Teddie, do you recognize me?”

“Huh? Um, recognize you? No, I don't think so. Do you shop here often?”

“It's me, Souji. You know, Sensei? Please tell me you remember me.”

“S-Sensei?” Teddie tilted to the left and to the right, as if closely examining him. “Are you one of my teachers? You look a little young to be a teacher. Except for the gray hair.”

This wasn't good. Souji felt his last hope starting to slip away. Before he could even think of a response, though, he was interrupted by another voice.

“Is everything all right over here?” Souji turned and saw Yosuke approaching down one of the aisles.  _ Last thing I need, _ Souji thought, grumbling internally. Something inside told him this wasn't random, that it was by someone's design for Yosuke to interrupt them at this very moment. He didn't know how or why he felt that way, but it wasn't a good thing. It left him even more unsettled.

“Sensei, this gentleman says  _ he's _ my sensei.”

_ Oh God, Teddie, shut up, _ Souji said, though he knew full well Teddie had neither the ability nor the desire to do so.

“Really?” Yosuke looked him up and down. “Little young, 'cept for the hair.” He smiled and bowed. “Were you able to find your friend?”

Souji pursed his lips. Of course, Yosuke probably wouldn't want to hear that Teddie was the friend he was looking for. Particularly if Teddie didn't know him, which was obviously the case. With Yosuke now in the picture he had two choices: continue questioning Teddie and involve Yosuke, or walk away. The smarter thing would have been to leave it alone for now and try to approach Teddie again later. “How did you meet Teddie?” He'd said it before he realized his mouth had moved. Was he losing control of himself now?

Yosuke's smile fell. “Excuse me?”

_ God dammit, _ Souji thought.  _ Well, might as well go for it now.  _ “Teddie. You two met inside the TV, right?”

Yosuke looked behind Souji, and then all around himself. “Okay, funny. Is this the ' _ Ken-chan and Kumo-chan Hour _ ? Where's the camera?”

“It's not some prank,” Souji said. “I'm Souji Seta. You and I were in King Moron's class together seven years ago at Yasogami High.” Yosuke recoiled a little when Souji said the not-so-loving nickname of Inaba High's least favorite teacher. “We solved his murder together. You, me, Chie, Yukiko...”

Yosuke held up his hand, and Souji stopped. “Sir, please, just don't talk about the –  _ that _ .” He sighed. “I'll be honest, I don't recognize you. Maybe it's your hair, no offense, but if you're my age, you went gray really early, huh?”

“He looks like the old guy on that TV show!” Teddie said.

“Where did you come from, Teddie?” Souji asked, spinning around. “You came from the Shadow World, didn't you?”

“Whaaaat?” Teddie asked. He looked around furtively. “Shadow World? What's - what's that?”

“Okay, sir, listen, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.” Yosuke stepped between him and Teddie. He gestured toward the front of the store. “Please have a nice day,” he said, doing a poor job of sounding like he meant it.

“Yosuke...” Souji started.

“Sir, please don't make me call security.”

Souji stood riveted. He didn't know what to do. He hadn't really been planning ahead, but it seemed like events were somehow conspiring to defeat him. Just as he saw Yosuke start reaching for his headset he backed away. “Fine, I'm leaving.” He turned and walked away, not looking back. He couldn't move quickly enough as he practically fled the store, his feelings no more organized than just the need to get away, to process the latest twist of fate's knife in the wound in his chest.

As he reached the sidewalk he slowed his pace. His legs continued carrying him in the same direction, though he knew of no real reason why. There was nothing for him down his road, nor any of the others. Inaba hadn't just moved on without him, it was if it had never  _ had  _ him.

Who was left? If Teddie was somehow in this world yet still didn't know him...

_ It means this won't be easy, _ Souji thought.  _ If I gave up every time things got difficult, there probably wouldn't be much of a world anymore. Calm down, take some time.  _ His pace slowed more, until he was at a normal walking speed.  _ Just take your time. Clear your head. Don't panic. There's an answer, and you'll find it soon enough. _ He took in a lungful of air and let it out slowly.

Everyone needed him now, and he wasn't going to let them down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teddie and Yosuke had watched Souji as he disappeared through the front doors into the heat of the afternoon. Once he was out of sight Teddie turned to Yosuke. “Who - who  _ was _ that, Sensei?”

Yosuke shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe he's a drunk or something.” He turned to Teddie, who was standing perfectly still. “You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah.”

“You sure? You know that guy was just a nutcase, right?”

“Nutcase, right,” Teddie said. He bobbed back and forth as if nodding.

“Look, why don't you go on break,” Yosuke said. “Take ten minutes, get a soda or something, okay?”

“Okay,” Teddie said. He stalked off, the usual spring in his step missing. Yosuke watched him for a moment and then returned to his rounds, shrugging. He guessed Teddie hadn't been lucky enough to deal with one of the crazies before. It always messed you up the first time.

Teddie made his way toward the employee lounge, though utterly confused. A nutcase? He was pretty sure that meant Yosuke didn't believe anything that man had said about the Shadow World. But how could the gray haired one have known where Teddie came from? As he neared the lounge he stopped, and then headed into one of the tall rows of shelving. Partway down he stopped at a small-screen television sitting on a shelf, a red tag with the words “Customer Return Defective” tied to the handle on its top. He looked to either side and, satisfied that he was out of anyone's line of sight, touched his blue hand to the tiny screen. It rippled like water at his touch.

Teddie was the only one who knew about the Shadow World, wasn't he?


	3. Food For The Soul

_ Damn, what a long day _ , Yosuke thought as he entered Aiya. He pulled off his cap and tucked it under his arm. Several of the diners made a point of ignoring him, and while he noticed it, he let it slide. His infamy as part of the “Junes Dynasty” as it had come to be known was still there even after all these years, though it had become more of a running joke than actual hostility. Many folks still blamed his store, though, and a few even Yosuke himself, for the decline of the Shopping District. The hobby shop had folded rather quickly. The liquor store had also gone under despite a grassroots effort to keep it afloat. Yosuke still felt some guilt over that, particularly since it was owned by the family of his late friend Saki Konishi. It had been seven years, and the guilty party brought to justice, but he doubted he would ever really get over her death. Still, time moved on, and as an adult he was learning that he needed to do so as well.

Aiya's owner and chef never passed up a chance to give him a special greeting. “Aiyaaaaa! If it isn't Manager-san, the scourge of Inaba!” He raised his spatula in salute.

“Just coming for the worst food in town,” Yosuke delivered with a smirk.

“Ach, you wound me! Pray my blood spilleth not into thine bowl!”

“Might improve the taste!” Yosuke continued toward the back of the diner. Of course, Aiya was his favorite place to eat out in the city, had been ever since he'd moved here eight years ago. Their food was leaps and bounds better than anything served at Junes' food court, though a bit pricier. Still, from the crowds that were here practically every night, he knew the rest of Inaba felt the same way he did. If nothing else, Aiya was not in danger of closing down anytime soon.

“Do you two have to do that every time you come in here?”

Yosuke smiled at the source of the voice. Staring up at him, in her full police uniform and with her usual knowing gaze, was Chie.

“Yep,” Yosuke said, taking his seat next to her. They kissed briefly. “Hope you ordered for me already, 'cause I'm starving.”

“Yeah, like I was going to pay for you or anything!” Chie said. She crossed her arms. “Not all of us can be rich like you.”

“Hey, I'm still paying off that steak dinner you made me take everyone to, remember?”

“What, from like a year ago? Give me a break.”

“Well,” he said, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her again, “my break is just what you have. I barely managed to sneak out of there without Teddie knowing I was gone.”

Chie sighed and squeezed his hand in her own. “Don't you feel bad, having to lie to him? He's so...helpless.”

Yosuke sighed. “Yeah, a little, but damn, I mean he hangs on me almost all the time. I let him move in with me because he didn't have anywhere to go, but sometimes I wonder if he'll ever really learn how to take care of himself.”

“So what'll you do when it's time for  _ me _ to move in?” she asked.

“Maybe I'll put a futon on the roof. He seems to like the outdoors.”

“Oh, don't you dare!” She elbowed him in the ribs.

“Ouch!” Yosuke said, pulling his arm from her shoulders to rub the spot she'd hit. “Geez, police brutality. Hey, speaking of that, how come you never wear your ring?”

Chie flashed him a piercing gaze. “And what does my ring have to do with 'police brutality'?”

“Not that. I mean, y'know, you moving in and stuff. I just never see you wearing your ring.”

“It's not exactly the best thing to wear when I'm on duty,” Chie said. She absently fingered the spot on her left hand's third finger. She'd never been much for wearing jewelry, and Yosuke practically had to browbeat her to wear it when she was off-duty. “Suppose some weirdo sees it and threatens you?

“Not exactly like it's a big town,” Yosuke said. “Pretty much everyone knows by now, I think.”

“Well, it might get broken if I use it to punch some idiot in the face.”

Yosuke shrugged. “Just hit them with your right hook, then. Oh hey, speaking of weirdos...”

Chie interrupted, “You go from talking about us being engaged to, 'Speaking of weirdos'? Are you the King of the Segue or what?”

“No, just...I just remembered this, and it was kind of weird. Maybe you know something about it. There was this guy that came into the store today. I think he was kinda young, maybe around our age, but he had gray hair, which was weird. Not the whole weird part, just...part of it. Anyway, he was talking to Teddie like they knew each other, but Teddie didn't know him from Adam. When I went over to see what was going on he started saying things like I'd 'met Teddie in a Shadow Land' or something like that. Frickin' weird.”

“Huh,” Chie said. “He give you a name?”

“Um – Seti Sojo, I think. Something like that.”

Chie pursed her lips. “Doesn't sound familiar. Maybe someone you knew from the city?”

“I doubt it,” Yosuke said, scoffing. “I'd remember someone with hair that gray.”

“Maybe he's your long-lost grandfather, rejuvenated by the force of his own chi, and he's come to school you in the ways of wushu.”

Yosuke stared at her. “I think you've watched so many of those kung fu movies they've finally melted your brain.”

She smiled evilly. “Don't forget, I can still make you cry uncle.” She reached behind him and grabbed his forearms in both hands.

“Wha – hey! Don't!” Yosuke struggled, even though he knew it was pointless. “I give, okay?”

Chie leaned and whispered into his ear, “You didn't say 'uncle'.”

“Every time I see you two you just can't keep your hands off each other.”

They both looked up to see Yukiko, in one of her many work kimonos, approaching from the counter. She was holding a bowl in each hand. “I take it yours is the steak bowl?” she said, handing one to Chie. “I guess that makes this one mine.” She sat down at their table with the other bowl in front of her.

“Wha – hey!” Yosuke said. He leaned over toward her. “Isn't that mine?”

“Hey, I told you I didn't order for you,” Chie said.

“Oh, quit torturing the boy before he has an aneurysm,” the chef said, bringing over a third bowl and placing it in front of Yosuke. “The last thing I need is to go out of business because Junes throws a 'Sympathy Sale'.”

“You guys can be real cruel sometimes,” Yosuke said after stuffing his mouth with ramen from the bowl.

“But you're so good at being teased,” Chie said, ruffling his hair. Yosuke gave her an annoyed look and pulled his head away.

“Have I ever said you two are the cutest couple?” Yukiko said after swallowing a small mouthful of fried tofu.

“Not nearly enough,” Yosuke said, trying to straighten his hair with one hand while continuing to shovel ramen into his moth with the other. He winked. “Though we get the point.”

“Busy tonight?” Chie said. “You look tired.”

“A little,” Yukiko said. “Been dealing with some interesting characters today.”

“You too?” Yosuke said, swallowing. “I got some guy who thought I was his long-lost schoolmate or something.”

Yukiko had been about to bite onto a piece of fried tofu, but stopped and set it back down into into her bowl. “Wait – was he kind of young-looking except for gray hair, really thin and a little tall?”

Yosuke swallowed another mouthful of ramen. “Yeah! Is he staying at the Inn or something?”

“Yes,” Yukiko said. “In fact, he asked to see me personally, and when I went he kept acting like I should know him. Wouldn't let it go, said we were in Morooka-san's class together just before he was...”

They let that though trail off. That year had been a particularly rough one for the town, with three murders and several kidnappings, including Yukiko's own. Over the years everyone in town had come to an unspoken agreement: you do not talk about the Adachi murders or the events surrounding them.

“Wait, this guy thinks he was in school with you back then?” Chie asked. “What was his name?”

“Um, it was – Souji Seta.” Yukiko nodded. “Yes, I'm sure that was it.”

“That's the same guy,” Yosuke said. To Yukiko's questioning look he said, “He came to the store today and was bugging Teddie and me about the same thing. And other – weird stuff, too.”

Chie frowned. “So what the hell is he doing here?”

Yukiko shook her head. “I don't know, he never said. Just a tourist, maybe?”

“Or a stalker,” Chie muttered.

“Well maybe you can ask him,” Yosuke said, nodding toward the door. Chie and Yukiko followed his gaze and saw him, the gray-haired man, having just entered the diner. They all tried to look away, but it was a second too late; they had caught his eye.

Souji entered the diner, his earlier determination having faded somewhat. He had walked the entire town, his feet protesting more and more with each step, and yet he'd not thought of a single idea on his next move. The only real possibility that had occurred to him was to go into the Shadow World and see if it, too, was different than the one he'd left. However, the only television sets he knew of that were large enough for him to enter were in Junes, and the last thing he needed was to be seen there again and arrested for trespassing. Jail was the last place he wanted to end up, especially if his uncle didn't remember him either.

Not that it wouldn't be an easy task of escaping, since all he'd need to do would be to enter a TV set and then exit somewhere else, just as Teddie had taught him, but then he'd be a fugitive and could quite possibly end up spending several  _ years _ in jail. If there were any way to fail in his investigation, that was truly one of the worst. Thinking about that hadn't really helped his thought process, aside from assisting in the process of elimination.

He hadn't expected anything, walking into the diner, aside from relieving the empty feeling in his gut. The roast pork from Junes hadn't really hit the spot, and as he happened to be in the Shopping District at the time he realized he was hungry, he decided Aiya was as good a place as any. While more expensive than Junes, it was a lot cheaper than the Amagi Inn's dinners. He'd already gone into enough debt thanks to the Inn.

The moment he saw them sitting there, the three best friends he no longer had, he stopped in his tracks. He knew right away they'd seen him, as they had immediately looked down at their own meals. Yukiko and Yosuke, and on Yosuke's other side, sitting close to him and almost completely out of view, was Chie. Good old kick-boxing, steak-eating Chie, who probably had as little memory of him as her friends did. He looked away shortly after they did, his eyes falling on an empty seat at the bar. He considered leaving the diner and finding somewhere else to rest, but he desperately wanted to sit down, his feet aching and his socks clinging uncomfortably to his soles. He continued to avoid looking at them as he made his way to the stool and sat down, his feet crying their relief as he finally lifted his weight from them.

Was it some kind of destiny that they just happened to be here, or was it a cruel trick of God's? He had no reason to think Chie would know him any better than Yukiko or Yosuke, and their shared reaction to seeing him reinforced that. He stole a glance at them to see that Yukiko and Yosuke were still making a point of not looking at him. Chie, on the other hand, had started staring at him over Yosuke's hunched-over form. He turned away again, partly embarrassed and partly intimidated by Chie's stare.

Had he seen what he thought he saw? He glanced over again. She was still staring at him, cold and hard, though he could now see the police uniform she was wearing. He reflected on her and realized that, of all the old friends he'd met today, she was the most changed of all. Her light brown hair was a little longer now and tied in a tight bun where it would be hidden under her cap. While she otherwise looked exactly the same as when he'd last seen her, at her graduation from the police academy, her demeanor was that of a police officer who took her job a little too seriously for her own good. Ryotaro had worn that look many times, even when he and Souji had been chatting casually. Even when they had been sharing a laugh.

Something else came to mind. As he remembered, he had been the one to help Chie decide to become a police officer. If he didn't exist here, what had driven her to make the decision? That was important, he knew. If this were an alternate universe where he had never come to Inaba, would Chie have become a police officer? For that matter, would Yukiko have stayed to manage her family's inn, or would she have run away as she had been planning when he first knew her?

“Something to eat, Mister, or just the sitting charge?” He noticed the chef was standing over him.

Souji gave a small smile. “Uh, regular beef bowl, please.”

“So say you, so shall it be done.” At least the Aiya chef's unique personality hadn't changed.

As he sat waiting for his food, his eyes studying the various ingredients and cooking utensils on the opposite wall for want of anything better to do, he saw movement out the corner of his eye. Chie had stood from her seat. He tried his best not to look at her. The last thing he needed was to inadvertently provoke a police officer, especially one that seemed to  _ want _ to be provoked. However, he couldn't ignore the fact that the diner had gone completely quiet but for the sizzling on the hibachi.

“Chie, what are you doing?” Yosuke whispered as soon as Chie stood. He saw her staring at the gray-haired man, saw the look in her eyes, and knew exactly what it meant. She'd always had that same look when facing off against bullies back in school.

“Chie...” Yukiko tried. Chie didn't look at her, and didn't give any indication she was going to let them dissuade her from whatever it was she was planning to do.

“Just relax, guys. I've got this one,” she whispered. She walked around Yosuke and over to Souji, stopping only when she was close enough for her breath to cause some of his stray hairs to flutter with each exhalation. Her thumbs were hooked in her belt, her right perilously close to her holstered sidearm. “Excuse me.” Souji turned to her, and she saw that his face had flushed and his forehead grown shiny with beads of sweat. Of course, the diner was pretty warm, between the massive hibachi and the balmy late-spring air that the air conditioning couldn't quite dry out enough to make it comfortable. He could have been drinking, and though she didn't smell it on him, just the thought made her like him even less. She could see the recognition in his eyes, but now that she was at point blank range she knew for certain she'd never seen him before. “New in town?”

Souji wasn't sure how to answer that question. Her face appeared impassive, but her eyes told him all he needed to know about what she was thinking. The truth managed its way out of his mouth. “Um, not really.”

Chie nodded. “Well, then you probably already know how tight-knit this town is. Everybody knows everybody. And  _ nobody _ knows  _ you _ .”

_ Yeah, I figured that part out _ , Souji thought.  _ Brilliant detective work there, Officer Satonaka. _

“There are things we don't discuss,” Chie continued. “And there are people we don't harass. Like friends of a police officer.” She leaned in close and whispered, “I trust you understand me?”

Souji nodded slowly. While the new Nanako had been the most frightening, the new Chie was a close second. The threat of jail, even if he hadn't done anything illegal that he knew of, was certainly an incentive to be as compliant as possible. “Good,” she said, and placed a hand on the beef bowl that had just been set before him. She slid it toward him, stopping just before it would have fallen off the edge of the bar and into his lap, the sizzling meat and vegetables burning his nether regions. “Then welcome to Inaba. Enjoy your dinner.”

Souji looked down at the bowl and continued staring at it as Chie withdrew her hand and returned to her seat. After a moment, he set some cash on the counter, and then picked up the bowl and stood, his feet protesting again as he skulked toward a booth at the far end of the diner, near the front door and as far as possible from Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko. The chef's eyes followed him on his retreat, and the din of multiple private conversations slowly returned.

“Was that really necessary?” Yukiko asked once Souji was out of earshot.

“Yep.”

“Man,” Yosuke said, leaning forward and setting his chin on the table, “my fiancé's a bigger badass than I am.”

“I don't know,” Yukiko said, looking over toward the corner where Souji had disappeared. “Now that I think about it...it's kind of like I  _ do _ remember him. Well, not  _ remember _ , really, just a feeling like I  _ should _ know him.”

“Whoa, hang on,” Chie said, holding up a hand. “You're not going to tell me you really know that guy after I just said that stuff to him!”

“Didn't he say he was in Morooka's class with you when – that year?” Yosuke asked.

“Mm-hmm,” Yukiko said, nodding. She was staring at the table as if deep in thought.

“He couldn't have been, then. I mean, Chie and I were in that class, and we don't remember the guy. I'm not the best with faces, but  _ you'd  _ know him, right?” He turned to Chie.

“Right,” Chie said. “Never seen him before, and I'd remember someone that looked like  _ him _ .”

Yukiko sighed. “I don't know, maybe I'm just tired. I try to think back to that time, see if he's in my memories anywhere, but it's like the feeling just slips away.”

“Well good riddance,” Chie said. “He looks creepy. Like the one they always say, 'Oh, he was always so quiet,' right before he chops up a family and feeds them to the dogs in his backyard.”

“Have I ever mentioned you're great for the appetite?” Yosuke said, grimacing at his half-empty bowl and pushing it away.

Yukiko shook her head. “You're right, there's no way I know him the way he seems to think I do.”

“Well, maybe you should kick him out of the Inn.” Chie said, crossing her arms.

Yukiko stared at Chie, her mouth open, as if Chie had just used the filthiest curse word imaginable. “I couldn't do  _ that _ ! He's still a customer, and he hasn't done anything wrong!”

“Right up until he chops you up,” Yosuke said, grimly.

“We can't lose any more paying customers right now,” Yukiko said. “After the concert was canceled we lost a lot of reservations. It's okay, we have good security. I'll be fine. Besides, you know very well I can defend myself.” She reached into her kimono and pulled out a closed fan. Its blue-silver metal gleamed in the dim light of the diner.

“You sure can,” Chie said, smiling. She glanced over toward Souji's corner. “Gray-boy better watch himself.”

Yukiko slid the fan back into her kimono as Yosuke and Chie resumed chatting and playfully teasing each other. She heard the exchange, but her mind had wandered away. Why  _ did _ she recognize that man? It was like an old song you heard once; suddenly it comes back to you, but you can only recall bits and pieces of it and how they made you feel. The bits and pieces in her head of a young man with gray hair made her feel good, and yet when she tried to touch those memories to see why they made her feel so good they just evaporated. But he couldn't have been a classmate, at least not from high school as he claimed to be. Why was it that, the more she reflected on him, the more familiar he seemed? And yet, why did he slip so completely away when she tried to actually remember?

“Hellooooo?”

Yukiko blinked a few times and looked over to see Chie and Yosuke staring at her. “What? I'm sorry, I was thinking of something else.”

“Yeah, we could tell,” Chie said. “I said, how is Shige-san?”

Yukiko tilted her head. “Shige-san?”

“Uh, yeah,” Yosuke said. “Your husband?”

“Husband? Y-yes, of course,” Yukiko said. She had completely blanked out for a moment. How could she have forgotten her husband? “He's doing okay. He's still in Moscow for this week, then he's going to New York to open their new office.”

“When will he be back?” Chie asked. “We should throw him a 'Welcome Back' party!”

“I don't...know,” Yukiko said. He was always so busy, spent so much time away. Maybe that was the reason that, every time she tried to recall his face it only came back as a generic man's face, with nowhere near as much clarity as it should have. She remembered their times together quite fondly, the Christmas Eves and the quiet walks at the riverside, the times she'd tried and failed to cook him an edible dinner when they first knew each other. But, for some reason, in those memories his face seemed to be just out of her mental grasp. Had he been gone that long? Or was she overworking herself and her brain was just too exhausted to keep everything straight? That would explain why she kept thinking that Souji person was familiar. Maybe he and her husband looked a bit alike.

“You sure you're okay?” Chie asked, reaching over and placing a hand on Yukiko's. “You look so tired.”

Yukiko forced a smile and shrugged. “Just been working a lot lately. Maybe I'll take a nap when I get back to the Inn.”  _ And maybe I'll dream about Shige. Or maybe about... _ She stopped herself. Why did her mind keep insisting on going back to that stranger? It was almost like she was a teenager again, smitten with some guy she'd just seen but not really met, knowing nothing about him except that for some reason he made her heart flutter just by him looking at her.

The stranger didn't make her heart flutter, but still she had a hard time taking her mind off him. Why was it always just out of her reach?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over in his solitary booth, Souji stared at his food.  _ So much for keeping a low profile.  _ He dipped his chopsticks into the bowl and drew out a cube of beef, staring at it for a moment before tucking it behind his lips. He didn't really enjoy the meal, didn't even want to eat it anymore, but was relieved to finally be filling his stomach. He knew this food tasted good, but he couldn't bring himself to like it. He had been in Inaba less than eight hours, and already the heartache it had caused him had increased to almost unbearable levels.

Nobody knew him. Not Yukiko, not Teddie, not even the chef who had served him many a Mega Beef Bowl on rainy afternoons way back when. This was all wrong. His head told him that there was a mystery here, that he had to get to the bottom of it. People didn't go from knowing someone to not knowing them in the space of a few hours. Someone's personality couldn't change that quickly. There had to be some explanation.

And then depression started to squirm its way in. What if this whole thing hinged on his staying away for so long, drifting apart from them as he had? Could they have forgotten him if they didn't want to? Hell, maybe they did know him and were playing ignorant, trying to get rid of him. That didn't really make sense, particularly with Nanako, but his depression was more interested in gnawing away at his heart than being logical. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead in his hand, his elbow propped on the counter. He tried to stop these thoughts, tried to tell himself that something was wrong and it was still his responsibility to find out why, but it was as if his own mind wasn't listening.  _ I'm such a terrible friend _ , he thought.  _ How could I have stayed away for so long? Whatever this is, maybe I really deserve it. _

“You have the look of a man nearing the end of his rope.”

Souji lifted his head just enough to look to his side, and then spun around so fiercely that his elbow knocked his bowl into the seat opposite him, spilling beef, vegetables, and rice all over. The chef shouted at him, but he ignored it.

Standing there next to the booth, she looked a little more feminine than he remembered. Or, maybe it was just the clothes. She was clad in a women's business-style suit that somewhat emphasized her feminine curves, a stark contrast from the stiff, manly clothes she'd always worn even after she'd chosen to stop hiding her gender. Her unruly hair, however, had changed little and was mostly covered with her all-too-familiar uniform cap. The voice, flat and calm, would have given her away even in a completely dark room.

“Naoto!” he said.

“Detective Shirogane, if you please,” Naoto said, cocking an eyebrow. “We should speak later, when you've a little less attention on yourself.” With that she strode briskly toward the door.

“Hey, wait a second!” Souji jumped out of his seat, banging his knee on the table. He gritted his teeth and hopped on one leg for a second before chasing after her. He continued ignoring the chef's shouting as he rushed through the doors onto the sidewalk, limping just a little on his sore leg.

She was nowhere to be found. A few folks were milling about under the streetlights, but none of them looked anything like Naoto. He ran up and down the street a couple times, the pain in his knee eventually subsiding, but could find no trace of her.

Despite that, he felt a glimmer of hope in the otherwise dreary darkness that had threatened to envelop his heart. Did he have a friend after all? Did she remember him? But then why the disappearing act?

“ _ We should speak later.” _ A vague statement to be sure, but she was the first to not dismiss him out of hand. As a matter of fact, she sought him out, didn't she? He didn't recall having seen her before choosing his seat, but then suddenly she was there. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to face this all on his own.

With a renewed sense of purpose, he started south toward the bus stop. If this Naoto was as good a detective as the one he knew, she had to know where he was staying. The best thing he could do was go there and, for now, wait for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ Hey, that's not fair! _

_ What's not fair? _

_ You're not supposed to interfere. _

_ I did nothing. Perhaps your influence isn't as powerful as you would like. _

_ How do I know you're not doing this to try to cheat me out of my win? _

A laugh.  _ You don't, my brother. Though, by my reckoning, you owe me a cheat for the one you performed. _

_ So you admit it! _

_ I have nothing to admit. Just because a mortal resists you doesn't mean it's divine intervention. _

A scowl.  _ Smugness doesn't become you, my sister. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm not finished just yet. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji walked up to the counter. The woman there was older than the one who had checked him in, by about ten years. She had a tilt to her brow that only grew when she saw him. She quickly flashed a false smile and said, “How can I help you, sir?”

“I'm Souji Seta, room seventeen. Has anyone been asking for me?”

The clerk blinked slowly, as if she had fallen asleep for a fraction of a second. “There was a woman who came looking for you earlier.”

_ That's our Naoto _ , Souji thought. “In a suit and a police uniform cap?”

The woman tilted her head. Her false smile disappeared. “Yes,” she said. Then, her voice lower, “Sir, this isn't  _ that _ type of establishment.”

Souji shrugged. “What type of esta...” His eyes widened as realization struck. “N-no, no no no – it's not like that. She's a friend. I mean – I mean,” he stammered as the clerk's expression of skepticism grew more intense. “She's a detective. An old friend. I came to town to meet her. Just...as friends.”

“I...see,” the clerk finally said, her voice drawn out. “If she returns this evening, shall I send her directly to your room?”

The tone of her voice told Souji she wasn't at all convinced this wasn't some kind of conjugal visit. Of course, after all he'd been through today, the sarcasm of an inn clerk was the least of his concerns. “Please, and please call me so I know she's coming.”

“Mm-hmm,” the clerk said, her right brow climbing further up her forehead. “And if she comes while you're out, do you have a –  _ message _ for her?”

Souji frowned. If Yukiko ever came around to being his friend again, he'd have to warn her that her evening clerk left much to be desired in regards to her hospitality. “Yes, please tell her to call my cell phone and I can meet her anywhere.” He started to turn away, then came back. “Wait, she might not have my number. Do you have some paper?” The clerk tore off a page from a notepad by the computer and handed it to him, almost smirking as she presented it between her index and middle fingers. He took it and jotted down his number, folded the paper, and wrote on the front:

**Detective Shirogane,** **  
** **Please call. Urgent.** **  
** **Souji Seta, the man at the end of his rope**

He concluded it with his cell phone number. He started feeling a little excited, and his hand was shaking a little as he handed it to the clerk. He quickly walked away before he was forced to experience another of the clerk's nonverbal sarcastic replies. His feet aching again, though feeling a little better as he walked on the cushy carpet, he made his way down the hallway leading to his room. As he rounded the corner he thought he saw, out the corner of his eye, the clerk reading the note. He just hoped the note made it to Naoto before it ended up on the Inn's back room gossip board. Still, he was comforted by the fact that he had some kind of link in this town. Hopefully, sooner or later, he and Naoto would be able to meet and have a proper conversation. Maybe, just maybe, she could help him make sense of everything.

At the very least, it would be nice to know whether or nor he still had a friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji didn't remember having gone to sleep, but this certainly wasn't his room at the inn. He was in a large room with a high ceiling, a giant crystal chandelier hanging in the center. The walls were covered with pleated blue curtains, and the floor and ceiling were covered in blue. Under his bare feet the floor was soft, but it wasn't carpet. He could feel it shift ever so slightly as he adjusted his stance, and it felt a bit prickly on his soles. It felt like velvet.

Underneath the chandelier sat a familiar form on a loveseat, his skeletal hands arched underneath his long beak of a nose. The giant bloodshot eyes peered at him.

“Good evening, and welcome back to the Velvet Room. It's not often we get return visitors after such a long absence.” The voice was high-pitched and stringy, almost gentle, far different than one would expect to come from such a wide-eyed character. It was, though, a voice he had heard many times before. “I see that you have been presented with a new mystery.”

“That's an understatement,” Souji said. “It's like – nobody remembers me. Like I never existed. Everything's all – different. I mean, they seem kind of the same as they were the last time I saw them, but – well, not all of them. Nanako, my cousin...she's like someone completely different.” He chuckled dryly. “She hates my guts.”

Igor simply smiled, the grin so wide and cartoonish it was easily visible despite the fact that his hands had been covering his mouth. “The bonds you have forged had a lasting effect on your friends. Bonds not easily forgotten.”

“Really?” Souji asked. He shook his head. “Even before all this...insanity...when I came back to Inaba, it's like we just all grew apart. I haven't even talked to two of my closest friends in three years, and it's not like I haven't tried. Now, it's just like I don't exist to them. To  _ any _ of them. I – I don't...” He sighed and put his fist over his heart. “I don't even  _ feel _ close to them. After all this time, this is the first time I've felt like that. Is that what bonds are all about?”

Igor tilted his head so that one eye was front and center, staring straight through him. He looked as if he were about to burst out in maniacal laughter, though Souji knew that would not happen. “The bonds you forge aren't always palpable. Sometimes they may feel as if they're nonexistent, but I stand by what I've said. Such bonds as you have made are unbreakable, even when they feel shattered.”

Souji sighed. “I wish I could believe that.”

“Believe what you wish,” Igor said. “You will seek your own truth, now as you did before. You will reconnect with old friends, and form new bonds with those you've yet to meet. If your past actions are any example, I have great faith you will find the solution.”

Souji shrugged. He wished he had that much faith in himself. He scanned the room, drinking in the atmosphere. This was much different than the Velvet Room he had last seen six years ago. That one was like the interior of a limousine. This one seemed more like a cavernous ballroom. However, it was completely empty except for Igor's loveseat and the table before him. Nobody else was with them.

“Where's Margaret?” Souji asked. “I...it'd really help if I had a real friend to talk to. Uh, no offense.”

“None taken,” Igor replied, with a barely-discernible chuckle. “She is out on an – extended errand. As a resident of the Velvet Room, she has certain responsibilities that require her time outside. Fear not, you will see her again. Your bond with her is as strong as that with your other friends, and in the end you will understand the true strength of it.”

Souji had to laugh. Lately it felt that was all he could do to keep from crying. He then sighed and nodded. While Igor had not yet led him down the wrong path, he also knew that the old man, or whatever he was, usually told him just enough of what he needed to hear to get the job done. Maybe Souji just needed to believe in the strength of the bond of friendship, even if that bond was tenuous in reality.

Faith worked a lot like that. So did self-deception.

Still, what else did he have? At this point, Igor was the only one with whom he'd spoken that didn't make him doubt his own sanity. Igor was the only one, except for that Shijicom operator, that acted like Souji even had an identity other than 'that stranger'.

“Now we come to the reason you're here,” Igor said. “Your presence here is not a coincidence. In fact, you had to intentionally fight yourself in order to come.”

Souji looked down at the floor, unable to stand Igor's piercing gaze. While he knew Igor was not being accusative, was never accusative, he still felt guilty about it.

“Your guilt is written on your face quite clearly, but guilt and remorse will not serve you. The great good you've done must not be undone in your own heart. You must clear your mind, look beyond your self-blame, and search for the truth just as you have before. To do so, you must seek out the bonds both old and new. The answer will lie with them.”

The room started growing dark. Souji looked up to see the Velvet Room fade to black completely, with only Igor visible as if he were his own light source. “Do not pity yourself, for you are not alone even when you feel you are. You have earned a divine ally...”


	4. Day Two

June 11, 2018

Souji awoke to see the dim light of early morning peeking through the shades on his window. It didn't feel like he'd been asleep that long, but he felt refreshed.

It had been years since he'd seen the Velvet Room in his dreams. Why now? He sat up and started rubbing the world back into his face. The fact that Igor had appeared to him reinforced his conclusion that everything happening had a cause that was more than pedestrian. But why Inaba? Why hadn't things started happening until he arrived?

First Izanami, now this. Was Inaba some kind of spiritual nexus?

This new twist gave him mixed feelings. The fact that he was again embroiled in an unquestionably supernatural mystery made him anxious, but he was comforted to learn, with little doubt remaining, that his friends hadn't simply forgotten him of their own accord. Of course, he could still be in some kind of alternate Inaba as he'd previously considered. But how would he know? Whom could he trust?

Naoto was his first, most obvious choice. The fact that she had approached him like she did, even though she acted like she didn't know him, at least told him she might be willing to listen. Maybe even to help. Even if she didn't remember, or this version of her didn't believe in, the Shadow World and their true power, maybe he could find some way to convince her. He wondered if a visit to the Shadow World would be enough. Then again, what if this Naoto still had her self-denial, and visiting the Shadow World forced her Persona lash out as it had done before? Was he strong enough to face it himself?

That was a bridge he'd have to cross when he got to it.

Who else was there? Kanji was still in town, last he knew. The others had told him they'd seen Kanji around town, though he had refused to speak with any of them. And yet this would be a different Kanji. Would it be the Kanji he knew, who wanted nothing to do with him, or would he be the old Kanji who was belligerent as a defense mechanism, keeping everyone as far away from himself as possible? Given what was happening, and given Kanji's temper even when he was  _ friendly _ , the last thing he needed was more of what Chie had given him.

And then there was Rise. She was due to be in town any day now for her charity concert. Of course, that was  _ his _ Inaba. In this one, who knew? He looked over at his cell phone charging on the table. Was it even worth a try? He shrugged, picked it up, and dialed her number. He hung up immediately after hearing the three rising tones, not caring what the phone company's excuse was for the failed call. The bottom line was that she, like practically everyone else he'd known, was  _ incommunicado _ .

He thought back to the investigation. Who else was involved? His uncle Ryotaro, of course. But could he trust the man? He was sure he could, but not in the way he needed. By the end of the investigation Dojima knew everything that had happened, even if he'd still had trouble believing it. But that was past tense. Given everything that Souji had seen, he had no reason to believe Dojima would be any more helpful to this investigation than he had been to the Adachi murders.

He paused.  _ Adachi. _ The one name he hadn't so much as uttered in six years. He hadn't heard  _ from  _ Adachi, hadn't heard  _ about _ him, and hadn't  _ wanted _ to. And yet, at times he had found himself reflecting on Adachi, trying to make sense of how he had come to be what he did and do what he did. In some ways Adachi was more like Souji than his friends were, and that was a fact he had to admit no matter how much it disgusted him.

All Souji's friends had something special about them, beyond how much he cared for him. They had faced their inner selves, the ones they themselves didn't entirely believe was part of them, and had learned the strength to embrace and accept. It had given them their special powers, the ability to release their inner selves in the form of their Personas. They could enter the Shadow World at will, the idyllic world created by the human subconscious desire for peace and calm and beauty. They had seen the goddess Izanami in all her glory and her depravity, and had saved the world from her warped idea of humanity's “utopia”.

But Souji never had to face himself like they did. Izanami had directly given him the ability to summon Personas, and to enter the Shadow World. She had done the same for Adachi. But unlike Souji, he used those powers to advance his own desires. When he had failed to seduce the woman of his dreams, he had sent her into the Shadow World and left her to die. When he confronted the girl who had witnessed the body and she spurned his advances, he did the same to her with full knowledge of the consequences. He had led the police on a wild goose chase while he pushed suspicion onto a very suggestible, very desperate man.

Tohru Adachi. Ex-detective, ex-human being. He'd given it all up just to fulfill his basest desires.

But where was he in this world?  _ What _ was he? Was he still in jail for his crimes, or had he even committed them? Did he even have the powers in this world? Souji remembered bringing up his teacher Morooka's murder, and Yosuke seemed to be aware of it. That had been a copycat murder, but a copycat needed something to copy.

He supposed there was one way to find out. He threw on last night's outfit and walked quickly out of the room, only giving a quick check to ensure everything was still in his jacket. He strode briskly down the corridors and past the front desk.

“Seta-san?” He stopped quickly and turned around. The woman at the desk, a different woman than was there last night, said, “Sir, I've been told to give you a message.”

Souji looked around himself. He was the only one there, and he'd never seen this clerk before. “How did you know who I was?”

“The night clerk said I could recognize you by...well...” she pointed to her head.

He'd heard enough about his hair to last him a lifetime.  _ Maybe I just need to dye it black and get it over with. _ He strode up to the desk. “What is it?”

“Detective Shirogane asked us to tell you she received your message.”

Souji watched her expectantly. “And?”

“That's all they told me, sir.”

He put his left hand in his pocket and ran his right through his hair. “No note?”

The woman shook her head. “No, sir.”

“I was in my room all night. Why didn't someone call?”

“I don't know, sir, I just started my shift. I'd guess Detective Shirogane asked them not to.”

Souji pulled out his phone and checked the display. No missed calls. He pressed the voicemail button and listened. “ _ You have no new messages,” _ the recorded voice said. He hung up and looked back to the woman behind the desk, who shrugged. “I'm sorry, sir, I wish I could be more help.”

“Thanks,” he said, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. Why did it seem that everyone was determined to make his life as difficult as possible? Even Naoto, who'd given him a glimmer of hope, had left him hanging. He continued on toward the door, slipped his shoes on, and walked out into the red light of dawn. It was still early enough in the year for the morning to be relatively cool and a mist hovered in the air, enshrouding the distant hills and any buildings further than a few dozen meters away.

He wondered just what she wanted with him. He'd assumed she knew something about his situation and wanted to help, but practically blowing him off was about the least helpful thing she could have done. But then what did she want with him?

He crossed his arms. He wasn't going to wait for her to get around to him. Whatever she was after, he didn't have time to play games. He'd let her contact him on her own schedule, but in the meantime he had his own work to do.

Right now what he needed were answers, not games, and right he figured he was most likely to get them from the vilest person he'd ever known. He hopped on the first bus to Junes, which would bring him within a block of the Inaba police station.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His feet were still a little stiff, but not as sore as the previous night. The bus had managed to get him to Junes just as the sun was peeking its way over Junes, and it took him only a few minutes to reach the police station down the street. The building hadn't changed, inside or out, from the last time he'd seen it.  _ The last time I was arrested _ , he thought grimly, the memory of Nanako being kidnapped while Ryotaro was interrogating him one of the many dark chapters of his life.

Inside was a reception desk manned by a bored-looking officer. The man was nibbling on a hard-boiled egg and sipping coffee from a paper cup, his eyes scanning the newspaper in his hand. He could see a few others, in uniforms and plainclothes, wandering about in the densely-packed cubicle farm behind him. It appeared to be a slow morning for the Inaba police, judging by the lack of urgency in anyone's behavior.

Souji stood at the desk for a few moments, unacknowledged, before he cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me.”

“Can I help you?” the officer said with a mouth full of egg, not looking up from his paper.

“Um, can I speak to Tohru Adachi, please?”

“Nope,” the officer said.

“Why?”

“Because he's not here.”

Souji's jaw clenched. “Twenty Questions” was a game one of his college buddies had tried playing with him, and he'd found it one of the most irritating experiences one could have, even when it was supposed to be fun. This was not for fun. He took a calming breath and asked, “Where is he?”

The officer rolled his eyes and looked up at Souji. “Prison, where else?”

Despite the officer's continued effort to be as unhelpful as possible, that simple answer gave Souji much of what he needed to know. The murders had happened, and Adachi had been convicted of them. Or, he had at least been convicted of  _ something _ . The only problem was that he was no longer in the Inaba jail for Souji to ask. “Which prison?”

The officer shook his head. “That's not public information.”

Souji put his hands to his hips and sighed. “ _ Public servant”, my ass _ .

“Excuse me, is everything all right here?”

Souji turned around to see a familiar face. There were a few new streaks of gray in the hair and several weeks' growth of salt-and-pepper goatee, but he would know Ryotaro Dojima anywhere.

“No sir, Lieutenant Dojima,” the officer said, straightening up in his chair and dropping the newspaper.

Dojima looked Souji up and down. He immediately felt like he was under the interrogation lamp again, like all the times Dojima had pressed him for details on his involvement in the Adachi case even just across the kitchen table.

“Souji, right? Souji Seta?”

Souji blinked. “Uh, yeah.”

“Hiromi's your mother, right?” He bowed his head, and Souji bowed back. “You've got her eyes, you know.” He looked up at Souji's hair and gave a half-grin. “And your dad's hair.” He looked back into Souji's eyes. “Your mom's kept me up to date on how you've been doing. You're more handsome than your pictures, though.” He chuckled. “The last time I saw you this close I was changing your diapers.”

Souji bit his lip and glanced back to the officer at the desk. The public non-servant was scribbling notes on paperwork, and looked to be intentionally avoiding paying attention to them.

“So, what are you doing in Inaba?”

Souji turned back to Dojima. “I, uh, have a friend from school that lives here.”

“Ah, so you're staying with your friend?”

“Well,” Souji said, scratching the back of his neck. “No, not really. He kinda – flaked out on me, so I'm on my own.”

Dojima tilted his head. “I wish I'd known you were here. Where've you been staying?”

“The Amagi Inn,” Souji said.

Dojima raised his eyebrows. “You can afford that?”

Souji gave an embarrassed smile. “Not really.”

Dojima laughed. “You know, uh, I have a guest room. Why don't you come stay with me? How long were you planning to stay in town?”

Souji tilted his head. “Stay with you?” He'd originally arranged to stay with them for the next three months, doing part time jobs to pay his way, but that was before he'd met the  _ new  _ Nanako.

“Well, you're family, and I'd be insulting my sister if I let you go into debt rather than putting you up while you're here.”

Souji shrugged. He was surprised that Ryotaro, as careful and suspicious as he was, would just offer to let someone stay with him whom he'd never met, especially without any sort of notice. “Okay, well, I was thinking a couple weeks.”

“I think we can work that out,” Dojima said. He raised an eyebrow. “Not involved in anything shady, are you?”

“No,” Souji said quickly. He remembered his uncle asking him something similar years before. Many, many times.

Ryotaro smiled again. “Well, you're welcome in my house as long as you're in Inaba.” He yawned. “Sorry, I've been really busy the past few days, and haven't had time to sleep much. I was just heading home. I'm assuming your stuff is still at the Inn?” Souji nodded. “Well, why don't we swing by and pick up your things on the way?”

Before Souji could fully digest what had happened, he'd received an invitation to stay with a version of his uncle that knew  _ of  _ him, but didn't know him. While he'd hoped for this, it now made him wary. Ryotaro was the last person Souji would have expected to be so open to him, especially given how hostile his formerly-close friend Chie, a fellow police officer, had been. Of course, he knew better than to return a gift he desperately needed. Maybe, just maybe, this was another clue about what was happening with everyone. He bowed. “Thank you, sir, that's very kind of you.”

“Oh, no need to be so formal,” Dojima said. “You're family.” He tilted his head toward the door. “Come on, let's go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They stopped at a drive-in on the way to the Inn and picked up a couple egg and ham breakfast muffins, a meal Souji was quite familiar with from his time overseas. Ryotaro explained that he had been working for days straight and would probably be going to bed as soon as they got home, and while Souji had offered to make breakfast, Ryotaro said that there was probably little food at home. Nanako rarely bought groceries anymore, as she used to do when she was younger. He talked about Nanako a little more, kept saying how she was his life and was such good girl, but Souji could hear a the sadness and disappointment in his voice. Given what he had seen of Nanako the previous afternoon, he wasn't surprised. As well as he knew Ryotaro, though, he was sure that much of that disappointment was with himself. He had gotten to know his uncle pretty well over that year living with them, and while the new Nanako was the polar opposite of the girl he'd known, Ryotaro didn't seem much different at all. It felt about the same as when Souji first moved to Inaba seven years ago.

That added to the mystery. Why were Nanako and Chie's personalities so much different, while everyone else seemed more or less the same, minus their knowledge of him?

While they were at a stoplight, Ryotaro asked, “So, what's your interest in Tohru Adachi?”

Souji, who was working on the last bite of his breakfast, said, “You heard?”

“Mm-hmm,” Ryotato said.

Souji had a second to come up with a good lie. “Well, I've been, uh, taking some criminal justice classes at school, and I was doing some research into famous cases in Japan. The Adachi murders came up, and I was interested in them.” He shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Ryotaro nodded. “And your friend just happened to live in Inaba, which made it pretty convenient.”

“I guess so,” Souji said. He got that familiar sense that he was about to be involved in another of his uncle's interrogations.

“Interesting,” Ryotaro said. “You called them the 'Adachi murders', but the media always called them 'The Hanged Lady Killings'.”

“I guess I'm not really one for nicknames. It seems kind of disrespectful to the victims.” That part was true. He and his friends had sworn to each other to never call the murders by their “popular” name.

Ryotaro looked into his eyes for a moment, then smiled. “I'd agree with you on that. Nicknames are usually made up by the media so they have something snappy to put on the headlines.” The light changed and he pulled into the intersection. “One thing, though. I'd be careful who I ask about the murders, if I were you. They're still a sore point for this town, and especially for the police.” He sighed, and Souji thought he heard the slightest growl contained within. “Adachi was my partner after he was transferred here from Tokyo. He committed the murders while on duty, and was able to derail the investigation for months until we got a break. We've had to deal with news media from all over the world putting us in the spotlight, and the prefectural investigations accusing us of incompetence and picking our department apart piece by piece. I can give you some information if you're doing this for a term paper or something, but I recommend you visit the library. Don't go asking around about it, okay?”

“Okay.” Souji's standing in this town was on thin ice as it was, and had no desire to further stretch the limits of good fortune.

The rest of the drive was silent. When Ryotaro finally pulled up to the Amagi Inn's front door, Souji stepped out. “Be right back,” Souji said.

“I'll be here,” Ryotaro said with a yawn.

Souji walked briskly past the counter and down the endless hallway to his room. His laundry from the previous day was still in the hamper with his damp robe. He extracted the clothes, wadded them up, and stuffed them into his bag with his one remaining outfit. He made a quick check around the room for any personal items, and closed down the room tight.

He had to wait a few minutes at the counter behind a couple people who were also checking out, before it was finally his turn. “Good morning again, Seta-san, what can I do for you?”

He slid his keycard across the counter. “Checking out. Room seventeen.”

The clerk tapped up his information. “Um, sir, you reserved your room for seven days.”

Souji nodded. “That's right.”

“I'm sorry, but we can't give you a refund for checking out early.”

Souji stared at her. “What?”

“We won't be able to rent the room out again this week, with the Risette concert canceled.”

Souji leaned forward. “Wait, what? The Risette concert?”

The woman nodded. “Yes. I'm sorry, I thought that's why you were here. A Risette charity concert was scheduled for Friday evening, but she canceled at the last minute. We had so many cancellations because of it that we simply can't accept any early check-outs. You may still leave if you wish, but we can't reverse the charge. We hope you do stay, though, and that you take advantage of our famous hot springs. With so many rooms vacant right now because of the cancellation, they'll be much less crowded than normal.”

Souji took a moment to process all this. Rise's concert was going to happen, but it was canceled. He wasn't sure if that was good or not. Rise told him she was holding that concert as an excuse to visit her friends without having to browbeat her manager into letting her take a vacation. Of course, she had originally come from Inaba, so it could have been different friends  _ this _ Rise planned to visit. “Do you know why it was canceled?” he asked.

“Just what they said on the news, that Risette got sick and is recovering in Tokyo.”

Souji sighed. Rise wasn't coming. Naoto was playing games with him. And on top of it he had a 90,000 yen charge on his credit card he wouldn't be able to get back. He was pretty sure that was illegal, but what could he do about it at this point? Talking to Yukiko was out of the question, and the last thing he needed was more attention. Whatever kind of world this was, it seemed he was getting swept up in events he couldn't control. He doubted Yukiko would do a damn thing for him even if he was in the right. After all, she'd sicced the charming new Officer Chie on him. She wasn't his friend in this crazy alternate version of Inaba, and the more he thought about it the more bitterness threatened to overtake him.

It would be worth the money just to not have to deal with all that. “Guess I'll keep the room,” he said.

“Very well, sir.” She handed the card back to him. “There are a lot of open slots, so please feel free to reserve a spring for yourself. Also, you may enjoy our gourmet dinners and breakfasts cooked by the best chefs in Japan.” She took a quick look around, and then reached under the counter and pulled out three slips of paper. She scribbled a signature on each one, and then leaned forward and said in a low voice, “I'm not supposed to do this, but I won't tell if you don't.” She handed him the papers. “These are meal coupons, to compensate for the inconvenience. Each is good for one breakfast or dinner, and you can use them on whatever you like. Even the lobster, if you want. Imported. It's  _ really _ good.”

_ Just give me the cost of the food as a discount on the room _ , Souji thought wryly, but he gave a small nod and accepted the coupons. He tucked them away in his jacket and walked away from the counter, his thoughts returning to Rise. He had her personal number on his cell, but of course, he'd already proven that was useless, hadn't he? She'd given it to him with the promise that she'd always return his call. But if she never got the call to begin with, he may as well go to Hill Park and shout her name across Inaba for all the good it would do.

He sighed. This wasn't something he could just walk away from, even if he was thwarted at every turn. There was no guarantee that this mass amnesia, if that was indeed what it was, was limited to Inaba. The fact that he'd met Igor meant that he had work to do here, and it was important. Probably to everyone in Inaba, and possibly to everyone in the world. That reminded him of the last thing Igor had said. Who was this “divine ally”? Did he mean Izanagi? That was hardly news to him. Only Izanagi's direct intervention, as Souji's Persona Izanagi-no-Okami, had given him the power to defeat the goddess of creation herself.

He wasn't going to get to the bottom of this standing in the Amagi Inn's foyer. His uncle was waiting for him outside, and he had a bigger issue to worry about right now. He was about to meet the newer, meaner Nanako once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji looked up at the house as he stepped out of Dojima's SUV.  _ Well, here I am again, _ he thought. What waited for him inside could very well determine where he would be spending the next night, whether here, at his room at the Inn, or if Nanako made good on her earlier threat, the hospital.

“Pretty nice view of the city from upstairs,” Ryotaro said as he led Souji to the front door. “Gets a little warm in summer, though. Hope you don't mind.”

“Not at all,” Souji said. Ryotaro had once told him that the heat pump was underpowered for the size of the house, but he couldn't see spending the money to upgrade when fans worked just as well. Souji had decided that, one day, he would gift his uncle with a brand new air conditioning system to thank him for all he'd done.

They stepped into the house, leaving their shoes at the door. Souji took off his jacket and hung it in the closet, but kept his bag on his shoulder. “C'mon, the guest room's up the stairs here,” Ryotaro said, gesturing toward the doorway just to the right of the entrance. Of course, Souji knew his way around the house quite well, but let Ryotaro lead him as if it were his first time.

They headed up the stairs and stopped at the door on the left side of the hall. “Here it is.” Ryotaro slid the door open to reveal the room in which Souji had slept for a year; it looked much the same as it had years before, except for the massive clutter. It was littered with magazines and music disc cases, so much so that the floor was nearly invisible. Ryotaro sighed. “Sorry, I haven't been in this room in a while. Looks like Nanako took it over.”

“What?” came a muffled voice from across the hall in an annoyed tone. “Can't a girl sleep around...” The door slid open to reveal Nanako, wearing the same clothes in which Souji had seen her the day before, her hair now free of the ponytails and sticking out in all directions. She was rubbing her eyes, but froze solid in mid-stroke as one eye laid itself upon him, her mouth still open from speaking.

“Oh, you're up,” Ryotaro said. “Nanako, this is your cousin, Souji Seta.” Souji bowed his head at the introduction, keeping his eyes trained on the girl. She had dropped her hand to her side and was now glaring at him with both bloodshot eyes.

Ryotaro sighed. “Nanako, please be polite. He's traveled all the way here from America, and he'll be staying with us for a little while.”

Nanako laughed a single mirthless laugh and turned her anger toward her father. “So you don't come home in four days, and when you do, you bring home a stray.”

“Nanako!” Ryotaro said. He took a deep breath and hung his head. “Nanako, please not today, I'm tired. Just clean your stuff out of the guest room so Souji has somewhere to sleep.”

Nanako rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She stormed past Souji, bumping hard into his arm as she stomped into the room.

As she lazily started rounding up her things Ryotaro leaned closely to Souji. “I'm sorry, she's just like this sometimes. You know how girls are when they get to a certain age.” He then spoke up so both could hear him. “I'm going to bed now, but tonight I was thinking it would be nice for us all to have dinner together. Nanako, you can tell Souji all about yourself, and Souji, you can tell us what it's like in America.”

“Whatever,” Nanako said, not looking up from her “work”.

“Oh yeah, hold on a sec,” Ryotaro said. He disappeared into his room. Souji looked back over to Nanako, who had stopped working and was staring daggers at him. “Here you go,” his uncle said. Souji turned back to him to see him holding a key. He held his hand out and Ryotaro placed it in his palm. “That's to the front door,” Ryotaro said. “I'm guessing you're planning on going to the library to do some research on – that – thing we discussed earlier. Nanako will be going to school in an hour or so, and I'll probably be sleeping until this evening, so if you get back before then I want to make sure you can get in the house.”

“Hey!” Nanako shouted, jumping to her feet. “You're giving him a house key? You don't even know him! He could be a rapist for all you know!”

“Nanako...” Ryotaro said, his voice tired.

“No, it's okay,” Souji said, handing the key back to Ryotaro. “I don't want her to be uncomfortable.”

“Oh please,” Nanako muttered, returning to the task of gathering up her junk.

“No, it's okay,” Ryotaro said. “You are who you say you are. I know it. And I just talked to your mother a week ago and she was telling me how much a hard worker you were. I was telling her that I was hoping to meet you, and that you were welcome to come stay with us anytime. It might have helped if you'd told her you were coming to Inaba so she could call, but...” he broke off. Then, he gave a half-smile. “Sorry, I'm just tired. Take the key, please. Nanako, trust me, you have nothing to worry about.” With that he went into his room, saying, “Good night, Nanako.” before closing the door behind him.

Nanako vocalized her disgust in a wordless snort. Souji turned to her and saw she was glaring at him again. “So you worked your way in after all. Well, come over here, cousin Souji Seta.” Souji simply stood there. “Oh, just get your ass in here!” He finally entered the room, shuffling his steps and pushing aside magazines and CDs with his toes so as not to step on any of them. As soon as he was a couple paces inside she held up her hand, and he stopped. “Now you listen to me. I don't know you, and I don't care if you  _ are  _ my cousin. You stay away from me and there won't be a problem. And don't forget...” She held up one hand with the index finger pointing up. She crooked the finger and made a hissing noise with her teeth. “Eyes burn soooooo easy,” she said, an evil grin curling the corners of her mouth. “Understand?”

Souji nodded slowly and backed away from her, not trusting her with his back turned. He stepped a heel on one of the disc cases, and before he could step back off it a cracking sound filled the room. Nanako's eyes widened and her nostrils flared. Souji looked down and realize what he'd done. “Uh, sorry.” He looked back to her, and could swear he saw her reaching into her pocket. He immediately turned and ran out of the room. Once in the hallway he cut to the right and sprinted down the stairs.

Within seconds he had snatched his jacket and shoes and was out the front door, having locked it behind him. Not that that would stop Nanako for long if she came after him, but it might slow her down a little.

He pulled up his socks, which had started slipping off in his flight, and slid his shoes back on before walking away briskly.

Even after seeing her this second time, it still didn't seem real. He just couldn't process this version of his Little Sis. If she didn't have Nanako's face hidden in that unruly mop of hair, he would have found it easy to assume she was a different person altogether. And yet there she was, in the house where he'd be living for at least a little while, always a danger to his sanity if not his health. He wasn't sure if she'd actually make good on her threats, but just to be on the safe side he'd keep his door locked and barred shut at all times.

He then realized that he'd left his bag in the hallway. There was no way he was going back for it, though. Not right now, anyway. While he was slightly worried he'd come back to find them doused in pepper spray, or possibly something worse, he would rather replace them than face whatever wrath she had in store for him. Then he remembered the clothes he'd mailed here. If she got ahold of them first...

He shook his head. That was far lower on his priorities list than figuring out why Nanako was how she was in the first place, and what he had to do to fix it. Maybe, once things had calmed down a bit, he could brave Junes some afternoon and pick up a few cheap outfits.

Not now though. He started down the street toward the main avenue that would lead him in the general direction of the public library. He needed access to the Internet to try to find out what he could about this Inaba, and to see if things were just affecting this town, or if it had spread to other areas as well.

If there were too many other people like Nanako and Officer Chie, he'd be in deep trouble.


	5. Mend Not The Fence But Replace It

The library was halfway between the high school and the flood plain. Souji had been there a few times on study dates, mostly on days when school was closed. It was a nice facility, clean if a little old-fashioned, with free Internet access and a decent selection of DVDs, back when people still  _ used _ DVDs. As soon as he entered the building he headed immediately past the circulation desk, following the signs that pointed toward the Internet kiosks. He had already made a list of topics on which he wanted to research, and hoped he'd have enough time before they closed to get through them all.

As soon as he reached the kiosks, though, his plans immediately vaporized. There was a sign taped to each computer:

**_Internet access currently unavailable._ ** **_  
_ ** **_We apologize for the inconvenience._ **

“You've got to be kidding me,” Souji muttered.

“I'm sorry, sir,” said a voice to his left. He turned to see a woman standing near, a cart of books before her. She was a head shorter than he but very slender. She had short blond hair and was wearing thick-rimmed glasses that covered bright, almost unnaturally-blue eyes. He noticed the nametag pinned to her blouse:

**Astrid** **  
** **Library Assistant**

A red sticker on the tag read: “ _ Welcome me, I'm new! _ ”

Astrid gave him a symathetic, closed-mouth smile, her lower lip protruding forward slightly. “It's been like this since yesterday. Not just us, it's most of the town. Our computer guy says it has something to do with solar flares, though I think that's an excuse tech guys use when they can't figure out what's wrong.” As she spoke he noticed her prominent front teeth, a bit too large for the rest of her mouth. However, something about her smile gave him a warm, almost cozy feeling. Or, maybe it was her accent, which was definitely foreign. American, maybe? Or Canadian? Whatever it was, she seemed to have a good command of his language.

He didn't know why, but he immediately felt drawn to her, almost magnetically. He tried to ignore it.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” she continued.

“Well, I guess I could look through the archives for the local paper,” Souji said. “Do you have hardcopies?”

“Um...” she started, frowning.  _ Such a cute pout _ , he thought, though he wasn't sure why he was taking the time to notice. “We don't have actual hardcopies anymore. Everything's been transferred to disc. We've got those through...” she rolled her eyes upward, “2015, I think. The Daily Inaba stopped distributing disc archives and went completely online in 2016.” She gave a sardonic smile. “If this Internet outage goes on much longer, though, maybe they'll change their minds.” She shrugged. “Anyway, follow me, please, and I'll get you set up.”

She left her cart and led him upstairs and through a study area to the right. They neared a table with two young men perusing some gaming magazines. One of them noticed Astrid, slapped the other in the arm, and they both turned to her. She hesitated for a brief instant at the attention but continued on. Souji could see the men staring at her legs, partially exposed by her Capri pants and sockless brown loafers. One of them said, “Hey,  _ Ameko _ , c'mere and sit on my lap, why don't ya?”

Souji looked from them to Astrid. She hadn't looked at them and her expression had not changed, though her cheeks had turned red. “Hey, I'm talking to you,  _ Ameko _ ! Too stupid to understand Japanese?” As they continued walking, he heard the other one say, “Stupid  _ patsukin _ .”

They reached the media room and she gestured to one of the shelving units. She sighed and said, “Here are the, uh, Daily Inaba archives. The computers all have Blu-ray drives, so you can use whichever one you want.” She showed him to a set of study carrels with computers in each one. All four were empty. “Just insert the disc into the drive and the viewer will launch on its own.” She offered him another smile, though it was less cheerful than the one she'd given him initially. “Would you like me to show you how it works?”

“That's okay,” he said, glancing at the disc cases on the shelf. “I can figure it out.” He noticed she'd turned her face toward the floor. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” She looked back up at him and offered another smile that was not reflected in her eyes. Her front teeth poked out from between her lips. “Y-yes, I'm fine. I just...it doesn't matter.”

“Those guys were completely out of line,” Souji said.

“I figured so,” Astrid replied. “I'm...still learning Japanese, but I think those guys were using a lot of slang. I could tell from their tone what they meant, though. I've only been here a few days, and they've been there every day. I just try to avoid them.”

“You speak very well,” Souji said, “and you seem to understand me pretty well too. If it weren't for your accent I'd swear you were born here.”

She flashed a look of surprise, but then smiled, this time a genuine one. “Thanks, but it's because you speak so clearly.”

“My name's Souji, by the way,” Souji said, offering his hand.

“Astrid, though you probably already knew,” she said, tapping her nametag. “Not too many people have offered to shake hands since I've been here.” She accepted his and shook it.

Souji felt a tingle as he touched her skin. “I've, um...” he stammered.  _ Get ahold of yourself _ , he thought, and cleared his throat. “I've been in America for the past few years at college, so I'm, uh, pretty much used to it.”

“Where in America?”

“Ohio.”

“I'm from Darden, Oklahoma. The Darden Library and Inaba Public are sister libraries, and we do librarian swaps every now and then. For the most part everyone here has been very nice, and already helped me learn the language better in a few days than I did taking months of classes back in the U.S.”

“Well, don't let a few racist jerks bother you,” Souji said. “I lived in Inaba about seven years ago, and most of the folks here are very nice and down to earth. Nobody even bugged me about the hair.” He ran his fingers through it.  _ Until recently _ , he thought.

Astrid smiled again, this one genuine. “Well, it's nice to meet you, Souji. Maybe we'll see each other again.”

“Maybe so,” Souji said, smiling back.

As soon as Astrid left the room, he heard a voice. He glanced around, but there was nobody else in the room with him. It took him a moment to realize the sound wasn't in his ears, but in his  _ head _ .

_ Thou art I... And I am thou... _ _   
_ _ Thou hast established a new bond... _ _   
_ _ It brings thee closer to the truth... _ _   
_ _ Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana... _

It had been a long time since he'd heard that voice. Seven years, almost. He stood there processing what he'd just heard, and one word in particular stood out. “Lovers?” he asked the empty room. He remembered that Arcana. Whom had it been...? “Rise,” he remembered. He took a deep breath and sat down at one of the stations as his heart started sinking to the floor. If he'd formed a new friendship of the Lovers Arcana, did it mean the old one was gone? Had Igor been wrong? Or was this what he meant by “new bonds”?

The Amagi Inn clerk said Rise had canceled her concert due to illness. But the reason she was holding that concert in the first place was to have an excuse to visit everyone. To see  _ him _ , when he came back. But if she was gone now, gone to him...

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about those bonds that he was pretty sure he didn't believe in anymore, and concern himself with what was in front of him. He needed to search the newspapers for information on the Adachi murders. His feelings were going to have to take a back seat for once.

_ Rise, if you're out there somewhere, I'm sorry. This wasn't what I wanted, not even close.  _ He stood, stepped up to the shelves and scanned the disc cases. Each was labeled with “The Daily Inaba Archive” and the calendar year. He pulled down all five discs for 2011 through 2015 and set them down at the nearest carrel. He inserted the disc for 2011, and within a few seconds a program called “NewsSearch Pro” appeared. He typed in his search criteria and began perusing the different article snippets that appeared.

Surprisingly, there were relatively few details in the archive different from what he knew to be true from personal experience. Most of the discrepancies he could write off to “journalistic creativity”, or the fact that not all information in the case had been shared with the general public.

Tohru Adachi was a detective with the Tokyo Police until he was transferred to Inaba after a “clerical error”. The article explained that a suspect Adachi had arrested was set free because he had failed to fill out the arrest report correctly, and it had not been caught in time by his superiors. The suspect subsequently vanished.

The details about the actual murders were vague, but the articles showed that Adachi had confessed to murdering Mayumi Yamano and hanging her body from a television antenna, and then several days later murdering Saki Konishi and hanging her from a telephone pole. He said he'd smothered them both with plastic bags, and though the Coroner had ruled both deaths “cause undetermined”, his account had been accepted. He also admitted to manipulating Taro Namatame, Mayumi's lover, into kidnapping five unidentified victims to, ostensibly, keep them safe from “the killer”. Though all those victims had turned up alive and well, there were no details of who most of them were or how they were rescued. The newspaper speculated that the kidnapping victims were all minors, but because they refused to file complaints against him, and for legal purposes, all but one of their names were unreleased.

The only victim whose name was known to the public was Nanako Dojima, daughter of Inaba police detective Ryotaro Dojima. Detective Dojima was injured in a vehicular chase with Namatame, who subsequently disappeared. Later, Namatame and Nanako both reappeared, though the details of how or where weren't released to the public. Namatame was tried and convicted for kidnapping Nanako, but was later acquitted after his lawyer successfully appealed and convinced a new jury that he'd been manipulated by an officer of the Inaba police, even if that officer was not doing so under official authority. After his release he gave a public apology to Nanako and the rest of the people he'd kidnapped, stating that he should have used is own common sense rather than listening to Adachi.

That part didn't seem to make much sense. It all seemed  _ constructed _ to him, like somebody had manipulated ether Namatame or the media to cover their tracks. Then again, the paper could have just been lazy about its coverage of the kidnappings. Adachi was surely the bigger story.

He continued reading. Despite his acquittal and apology, Namatame was again dragged through the mud and his family was forced to fire him from his job as a deliveryman. His name faded away from the public eye after that, though he did see the occasional reference in “News of the Weird” columns, one mentioning that he'd returned to his family's company again as a janitor.

_ Namatame, _ Souji thought.  _ Namatame had the same power Adachi and I did. He didn't have a Persona that I know of, but he could enter the TV at will. _

Adachi was the one whose insight had led Souji to Izanami, but he was out of reach. Namatame, on the other hand...

He scanned back through the articles to find the name of Namatame's family business. One listed it as “MasTrans, Inc.” and gave the street name of their main office, though not their exact address. He checked his watch. It was getting close to noon. If the newer article was right that Namatame had been hired back on, then he could possibly be there now.

Souji tried not to get his hopes up, but if he was able to speak to Namatame even for a few minutes... Well, what did he have to lose at this point? He tried not to think of this as his last hope, since it seemed he'd had a lot of those lately. He instead told himself the next logical step was to seek out Namatame and see if he was affected to the extent everyone else was. That was, of course, assuming he was really still working for his parents. Still, it was a place to start.

He packed up the discs and put them back on the shelf. It was time to pay a visit to the office of MasTrans, Inc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, how can I help you?”

Souji smiled at the receptionist. She was chubby and her hair was somewhat unkempt, but she had a pleasant voice. Her low neckline showed off her voluptuous figure which Souji had to actively try not to look at. “Hi, I'm here to see Taro Namatame.”

The receptionist's smile dropped. She folded her hands. “I'm sorry, sir, Taro Namatame doesn't work here.”

_ You're a bad liar _ , he thought. “Then can I please speak with his father? It's very important.”

The receptionist stared at him for a moment, then asked, “Whom should I say is here?”

He couldn't think of a good lie, so he said, “Souji Seta.”

“Just a moment.” She picked up her phone and pressed a button. “Namatame-san, a Souji Seta is here to speak with you. It's regarding your son. Yes, sir.” She hung up the phone. “He'll be right out. If you'll have a seat there...” She gestured to one of the two modest guest seats in front of her desk.

Souji had no sooner sat down than a large man with white hair and a full beard stormed from around a corner. He stopped at the desk and looked down at Souji through a pair of half-moon spectacles, his eyes narrow. “You wanted to speak with me about my son?”

Souji stood. “Yes, sir. I was hoping you could help me get in contact with your son, Taro. I'm a – friend of his, and I need to discuss something very important with him.”

“Of course you do,” the elder Namatame said. “Look, kid, a lot of folks have come by saying they're Taro's friends, old colleagues, and other crap like that. I haven't believed any of them, and I don't believe you.” Before Souji could protest he continued, “If you were his friend you'd know how to reach him. Frankly, Taro doesn't have any friends, and doesn't need them. Now if you'll kindly carry your skinny little butt out of my waiting room...”

“Dad, are you talking about me behind my back again?” came another voice. A thin man in a MasTrans cap and white uniform shirt emerged from around the same corner the elder Namatame had come. Souji instantly recognized him. It was the man they'd chased through Nanako's corner of the Shadow World, the same man who had nearly been killed by Souji's friends in vengeance for the murders they thought he had committed.

Namatame the younger stopped when he saw Souji. They stared at each other for a full ten seconds before Taro said, “You. I...I  _ know  _ you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji and Namatame sat at a booth in a dark corner of a ramen shop near Junes, their lunch bowls steaming before them. Neither was interested in the food, though. They had spent the last fifteen minutes becoming acquainted, Souji telling Namatame about himself, minus the events of seven years ago. Namatame had stayed relatively tight-lipped, but Souji didn't press him.

“This is all so weird,” Namatame finally said. He had left his uniform shirt and cap at the office, and was now wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans with a sun cap partially obscuring his face. “None of that sounds familiar to me, but I still know you. How can that be?”

“I don't know,” Souji said, “but that's a thousand times better than I've gotten so far.”

“What do you mean?”

Souji sighed. “I need to ask you a question. This is going to sound crazy, but I have to ask it anyway. Have you ever...” He frowned. He glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation. This was the moment of truth, though, and there was no tiptoeing around it. “Have you ever – put your hand into a TV?”

Namatame's eyes went wide for a second. He clasped his hands in front of him, rubbing them together, trying to stop them from shaking. “Y-you mean, like, punched in a TV? When I was mad?”

Souji shook his head. “No, I mean, have you ever put your hand into a TV screen, and had it pass through just like you were sticking your hand in water?” Namatame's mouth dropped open. He shook his head, but from the look in his eyes Souji could tell that he wasn't really denying it. “You have, haven't you?” he asked.

Namatame brought his hands to his mouth and appeared to be chewing on his knuckles. Finally he nodded, and then leaned closer. “How did you know?”

“Because I can do it too,” Souji said.

“You – you're serious, aren't you?” Namatame asked. “But how did you know  _ I _ could?”

“It's a long story,” Souji said. “But you probably have to get back to work, don't you?”

Namatame looked down at his watch. “Well yeah, at some point. But this is more important.”

“It's important to me too,” Souji said, “but we need to avoid bringing too much attention to ourselves. Even you being late to work might be bad.”

“Why are you so worried about  _ that _ ?” Namatame said.

Souji sighed and leaned forward. He whispered, “Let's just say that, since I've been here, I've been thrown out of a store, almost been pepper sprayed, and a cop nearly dumped my dinner in my lap, all just for trying to talk to people I used to know. You're the first person I knew back then,” he waved his hand when Namatame shook his head, “listen, it'll make sense later, but you're the first person I knew who doesn't remember me but will actually  _ talk _ to me. I'm hoping we can help each other make sense of everything.”

“Everything, like the TV thing?”

“That's just the start of it,” Souji said. “I know what the media said about you, the things they've called you, but I know it's not true. I know you've had it hard the past several years, a lot harder than anyone can understand. But I know you're a good person, and I want to help you. I'm hoping, in turn, that you can help me too.”

Namatame tilted his head. “How do I know you're not just playing me? I've had people from the media say they wanted to help me, but all they wanted was a story. If I counted the number of woman reporters who bought me drinks at the bar...”

“Let's find the nearest TV and I'll show you,” Souji said.

Namatame shook his head. “No, that's okay. I never told anyone about  _ that _ . You - you couldn't know about that if you didn't know me, though I still don't know  _ how _ you know me.”

“Well, why don't we meet tonight after you get off work?” Souji said. “I'll explain everything then, I promise.”

Namatame frowned, then nodded. “Okay then, Seta-san. How about Hill Park, seventeen hundred?”

“I'll be there,” Souji said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hill Park was the picnic area on the hill overlooking town. Souji had been there quite a few times before, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. In the five o'clock sun the view of Inaba was absolutely stunning, and at times he had come just to look at it and wish he could stay there for the rest of his life.

He heard footsteps in the grass behind him and turned around. Namatame was approaching, clad in a nondescript windbreaker and the same sun cap from earlier. “You know,” Namatame said, “I didn't think you'd actually be here.”

“Part of me didn't think you'd be here, either,” Souji said. “I guess I thought it'd be too much to hope for something to be going right for me lately.”

“Well, no offense, but it's been a long time since things have gone right for me,” Namatame said. He gave a half-smile. “Sorry, my problems aren't yours.”

“Actually, I think they are. At least a little bit.”

Namatame crossed his arms. “All right then, so tell me, what's your story? The one that was too long to tell me at lunch?”

Souji put his hands in his pockets. “What I'm telling you is going to sound completely insane, but please have an open mind.”

Namatame shrugged. “Listen, kid, if you believe me that I can enter a world on the other side of the TV screen, I hope you believe that I've learned to be a little open-minded.”

Souji smiled. “Fair enough. Okay, well, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning, when I moved to Inaba seven years ago.”

After they sat down on a nearby bench Souji told Namatame everything, from his meeting with Izanami in the form of the gas station attendant, to his discovery of the Midnight Channel and his friends' investigation into how it fit with the murders, to their rescue of the people Namatame had attempted to protect by throwing them into the TV. He carefully watched Namatame's face when reached that part. While there was pain in the older man's countenance, Namatame neither stopped him nor did his attention waver.

He continued on to Kinshiro Morooka's murder and their capture of Mitsuo Kubo, and the turn the investigation took when they deduced that Namatame was the one who had put the victims into the Shadow World. However, by then he had already kidnapped Nanako Dojima, and before they could catch up to him he had taken her into the Shadow World.

Souji and friends went in and rescued them both, but when they confronted him afterward they figured out that he wasn't the murderer. They eventually determined that Adachi had manipulated him into the kidnappings, and they then tracked down Adachi in the Shadow World and brought him to justice. Finally he explained how, months later, they'd learned that he, Namatame, and Adachi had all been given their power to enter the Shadow World by Izanami as a test to decide humanity's fate. They ultimately defeated Izanami, and earned a reprieve for all of humankind.

Souji spread his hands. “That's about it,” he said. He waited for a few seconds, but Namatame said nothing. “I guess the fact that you're still here means you don't think I'm completely crazy.”

“Not completely,” Namatame said. He sighed. “At least, no more than I am.”

“Does  _ any  _ of this sound familiar?” Souji asked.

“Yeah, a lot of it,” Namatame said. “Well, the part about what Adachi did, and what I did. But – I keep trying to remember you, and I can't. I don't...even remember the specifics anymore.” He swiped back his hair with both hands. “How could you know all this, and I don't?”

“Because something new's happening,” Souji said. “Nobody here, not my friends, not my family,  _ nobody _ remembers any of what I just told you. I've been gone for a while, but I've stayed in contact with most of them right up until I came into town yesterday. I thought it was like an alternate universe or something, but talking to you now, I think everyone's memories are being...erased, or blocked, something like that.”

“And what made you think I'd remember you?”

“Because you're different from everyone else. Like me. You got your power the same way I did, directly from that goddess Izanami.”

Namatame raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I still find that part hard to swallow.”

Souji shrugged. “Harder to swallow than being able to go into a TV?”

“That's the thing,” Namatame said. “I don't remember actually going  _ into _ any TV. I remember – being able to put my hand in, and I remember taking each of those kids when I thought the killer was going after them, but I don't remember where or how I did it.”

“Do you remember why you kidnapped them?”

“Because I thought the killer was going after them, of course.”

“I mean, what made you think that?” Souji asked.

“I...” Namatame started. He turned away. “I don't know.”

“You saw them on the Midnight Channel,” Souji said. “The same as you saw Yamano-san just before she was murdered.”

Namatame shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “God, Mayumi,” Namatame thought. “I saw her...” He raised his head. “I...saw her. On TV. At night, when the TV was off. She was in pain. I – I tried to  _ touch _ her...” He reached out his hand. “I tried to touch her. My hand went into the TV, and I...I...”

He breathed in deeply, his chest expanding so far Souji thought it might burst. For a moment he wondered if the man was experiencing a seizure, but after a brief pause he exhaled. As he did so, what looked like smoke came out, not just from his mouth and nose, but from his eyes and his ears. It almost looked like a cartoon's depiction of someone who had just eaten a very hot pepper. The smoke dissipated almost as soon as it left Namatame's body, and his head rolled back as he started panting heavily.

Souji put his hands on the man's shoulders. “Hey, you okay?” He stood and looked into Namatame's eyes. They were wide and alert.

Namatame blinked, looked around, and then turned to Souji. “I remember. He – that cop, Adachi, told me there was nothing the police could do about the people I saw on the TV, that someone else would have to protect them.” He leaned forward, and Souji returned to his seat. “I tried, each time, and I thought I was doing good because nobody else died. Then that teacher was found, and I thought I'd failed. I was so upset I almost – almost slit my wrists that morning. Mayumi, Mayumi...” He put his face in his hands. “I thought I'd failed you, Mayumi. And then that kid detective showed up on the TV, and I knew I had to save him. And then that little girl... Oh, God, why do I have to remember this? All these things I've done...I'm such a terrible person. I – I hate what I became.”

Souji watched as the man shook, his face buried in his hands. He placed a hand on Namatame's shoulder and held it there. After a minute or two Namatame turned to him. His eyes were red. “You. You saved me. Your friends...they wanted to kill me, but you wouldn't let them. You...you wanted to know why I took them. You made them listen. And then, that cop was arrested.”

“I was just using logic,” Souji said. “There were things that happened that you couldn't possibly have had anything to do with. We figured out later that the murders weren't you, and that you really were trying to save those people, like you said.” He sighed. “If I'd gone through what you did, I might have done the same thing you did.”

Namatame laughed, or maybe it was a particularly loud sob. “I hope not. You seem smarter than that. I've made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life.”

“Well, then help me. Make up for them. There's something happening to everyone in Inaba. I don't know what's causing it, but I know that I have to find out, and fix it somehow.”

“And what makes you think I'll be any help?” Namatame asked. “What makes you think I won't make a mess of it, the last time I tried to help anyone?”

“Because you won't be alone,” Souji said. “I couldn't have done it all by myself, and I sure can't do this alone.” He leaned closer to Namatame. “It's easy to want to run away from your problems. God knows I've been close to doing that so many times in just the past couple days. But I know now that I have to face them. It's the only way to solve them, the only way I'll have any peace. I know you want peace, too.”

“For Mayumi?” Namatame asked.

“Yes, and for yourself, and for everyone else you care about.”

Namatame shook his head. “I don't know if I can,” he said. “I can't do the kind of things you did. I'm no hero.”

“Neither am I,” Souji said. “I just did what I had to do, and got really lucky.”

“But my job, and my...my...” He sighed. “I don't really have anything, I guess. Nothing to fight for.”

“You've got yourself,” Souji said. “You say you hate yourself for the things you did. Maybe you can learn to like yourself again.”

Namatame stared at him for a moment. Finally, he gave a sad smile. “Yeah, maybe I can. Even if I can't, though, I guess I owe it to you. I owe you my life, really. Don't I?”

Souji shook his head. “Don't...”

“Please,” Namatame said. “Just let me have that. I owe you, and I want to repay you. Will you accept?”

Souji sighed, then nodded. “All right, I accept.”

Namatame stood and bowed. Souji stood and bowed back. “So, where do we start?”

“I'm not sure,” Souji said. He glanced up at the sky, which was growing darker. “I need to get going, though. Can I give you a call tomorrow?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. You got a cell phone?”

They traded phone numbers. “Thanks, Namatame-san.”

Namatame waved his hand. “Please, no. I lost the right to  _ anything _ -san a long time ago. Call me Taro.”

“All right then, Taro-kun,” Souji said. “And you can call me Souji.”

Namatame nodded. “You know, I never really thanked you.”

“You don't have to,” Souji said.

“Yes I do,” Namatame said. “You didn't have to help me, didn't have to listen. But you did. I know you were trying to solve a case, but you were kind to me when most other people would've gladly thrown me off a building.” He bowed again. “I'll talk to you later, Souji-kun.” As Namatame walked away, Souji felt a little satisfaction. He'd helped Namatame regain his memories and given him something to fight for. Namatame, in return, had not only listened to him, but had  _ remembered  _ him. It made him feel good knowing that, for the first time in a while, he mattered to someone.

As he had that thought he heard a voice, the same one that had spoken to him in the library:

_ Thou art I... And I am thou... _ _   
_ _ Thou hast established a new bond... _ _   
_ _ It brings thee closer to the truth... _ _   
_ __ Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Aeon Arcana...

_ The Aeon Arcana _ , he thought. That was one he'd never heard of. He gave a quick laugh. Maybe that meant he hadn't lost another friend. Losing Rise, for no apparent reason, was already too much. Maybe this meant there was still a chance he could help the others remember, and he could have them back.

It also cemented in his mind the feeling he'd had ever since speaking with Igor the previous night. While this was an entirely new set of circumstances, at least he was sure now he wouldn't have to face it alone. He headed down the hill in the opposite direction from that which Namatame had taken. As he walked he reflected on the moment Namatame's memory returned. Black smoke had come out of him just before he retold his part of the story Souji had described.

Could that smoke, whatever it was, have been related to Namatame's amnesia? It made sense. But then what had forced it out? Souji had just finished telling him about the events surrounding the murders and kidnappings, but it was only when Namatame tried to remember why he did everything that it all came back to him. It was when he remembered seeing the woman he'd loved on the Midnight Channel, suffering shortly before she died.

So maybe a memory, or a feeling, that was strong enough could break the amnesia. A painful one, maybe? He reflected back on everything he'd seen. If strong emotions could trigger the blocked memories, then why didn't Yukiko suddenly remember him? Had he not said anything that meant enough to her? Or did he  _ himself  _ not mean enough to her?

_ She's married _ , Souji thought.  _ Of course I don't mean enough to her anymore. _ He shook his head.  _ Stop it. That's not going to help. You've got an ally now. No, a _ friend _. You're going to figure this out, and you're going to stop it. Just like you did before. _

He smiled. He wasn't alone. He could do this now. This wasn't like Naoto, who was apparently just playing with him. Namatame – Taro – was the real deal. If he could bring Taro's memories back, he could help the others. Yukiko, Yosuke...maybe even Nanako.

With Nanako, he'd have to start with dinner. First he needed to make a quick stop at Junes to pick up the meal fixings. Maybe some nice baked fish would finally break the ice...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naoto watched as Namatame and Souji went their separate ways. She pressed the Stop button on her digital recorder. Her miniature listening device wasn't perfect, and some of what they'd said had been obscured by the rustling of the leaves in the trees next to where they'd been sitting, but she'd gotten most of their conversation.

She had spent the entire time pretending to have fallen asleep reading a book on a park bench, a fedora covering her face as she listened in. Sitting still for so long was something she'd taught herself to do years before, and it had served her well since.

_ Souji Seta, what are you doing with that man?  _ she thought. She'd been intrigued by this stranger who had showed up in town, asking around about the Adachi murders in which she had been involved all those years ago, and had kept an eye on him. When she'd seen the incident between him and that police officer in the diner, though, she knew there was something more going on than just curiosity. She didn't really know Officer Satonaka that well, having only read her file once when working with the Inaba police's Internal Investigations department. The officer was not prone to intimidating people that didn't deserve it. So, either this man deserved it, or he had some other way raised Satonaka's ire.

Either way, the newcomer had raised her interest. She'd approached him to get a feel for him, to gauge his reaction to her. She saw the recognition in his eyes, and decided it best to continue watching him from a distance rather than affect his actions any further. She'd tailed him from then on, learning that he was staying at the Amagi Inn until today when Inaba Police Lieutenant Dojima, whom she later found out was his uncle, took him in. An interesting twist, only made more interesting when she saw him meeting Taro Namatame, the man responsible for several kidnappings including both her own and that of Dojima's daughter.

She didn't remember much about her own kidnapping, except that she'd been rescued without a scratch on her body or a bit of evidence to her kidnapping. She'd decided against pressing charges on Namatame, partly for that reason and also partly because she didn't want to risk being dubbed a “damsel in distress” when her career was still in its tender toddlerhood.

And then she heard the stranger actually discussing the kidnappings with her kidnapper. Seta had even been sympathetic with Namatame over them. However, much of what they'd said, that which she'd been able to pick up, sounded quite fantastic. While Namatame hadn't been very lucid when he was first arrested, he didn't seem to have been detached from reality any of the other times she'd seen him. On the other hand, while he'd reacted strongly to some of the things that Seta had said, he seemed to have accepted them. So were they both caught up in some kind of psychosis, or was it some kind of code?

It had to be one or the other. Obviously, the kind of things they discussed couldn't be true. Gods inspiring a serial killer? A world inside television sets? Kids summoning things called “Personas” to help them destroy shadows?

Whatever little she knew about Seta, she knew what Namatame was capable of, particularly when he thought he was doing something good. Based on what she'd just heard, though, this Souji Seta was a truly dangerous individual. While he hadn't yet committed a crime, and even this recording wouldn't be enough to justify arresting either of them, she knew they were up to something. These two would meet again, and when they did she'd be there. But Souji Seta was the dangerous one, the one she needed to follow.

She'd be watching him, and the second she could justify it she'd take him down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner at the Dojima house was not what Souji remembered it to be, though it wasn't as bad as it could have been. From what Ryotaro had told him Nanako never cooked, and Ryotaro was still inept in making anything more than instant coffee. Ryotaro, who had literally spent the entire day catching up on sleep, had been pleasantly surprised to wake up to the smell of baked fish and miso soup. Nanako, on the other hand, gave no indication she'd noticed it when she returned home and instead headed straight for her room.

Once he was done they all sat together at the table in the living room, though Nanako did so only after Ryotaro threatened to ground her. As soon as his uncle brought the first bite of fish into his mouth his eyes lit up. “Wow – this is really good! You sure you're not going to school to become a chef?”

Souji smiled. “I've just had a lot of practice, tried a lot of recipes.” He turned to Nanako, who was poking at her rice. “I can make Asian-American omelets with fried rice for breakfast, if you'd like.”

Ryotaro swallowed his mouthful of rice and said, “That sounds good, don't you think, Nanako?” Nanako grunted noncommittally, stirring her fish in with the rice. “Aren't you going to eat? Souji worked hard on this,” Ryotaro continued. She grunted again. “Nanako, eat.”

She sighed theatrically, pinched a chunk of fish and rice in her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth. She opened her eyes in surprise for an instant, but did her best to return to bored indifference. She had no desire to eat this meal, but had to admit that it tasted good. Very good, in fact. That irritated her all the more.

“Well, how is it?” Ryotaro asked.

“No, that's okay...” Souji started.

“It sucks,” Nanako said.

“Nanako!” Ryotaro barked. She didn't acknowledge his reprimand, but continued eating the entree, along with her soup.

After a few moments she put her chopsticks on the plate and said, “Can I go now?” She didn't once look up from her plate.

Ryotaro hung his head and shook it. “Go ahead.”

As Souji started trying to figure out what to do with Nanako's leftovers, he was shocked to see her pick up her plate and bowl and take them with her up the stairs. Ryotaro sighed. “I'm sorry about her, I really am. She's just...it's been really tough on her, her mother being gone, and my job.”

Souji nodded and turned to him. “It must be tough on you both.”

“We get by,” Ryotaro said. “She's really independent and resourceful. She  _ can _ cook actually, but she usually just does it for herself. I'm almost never home for dinner. Sometimes I'm not even home in time for breakfast. Like today.”

“You're a police lieutenant,” Souji said. “I imagine that's really stressful, and requires a lot of time.”

“Yeah, I'm in the perfect position where I'm high enough in the force to have all the responsibilities, but too low in the hierarchy to delegate enough to let me come home on time.” He laughed. “Sometimes I wish I'd never accepted that promotion from detective. I was busy then, too, but nowhere near as much as I am now.” He looked up at Souji, and then laughed. “Sorry, I don't know why I'm laying all this on you. I haven't even asked you about yourself. What have you been up to? What's it like in America?”

Souji shrugged. “In some ways, a lot like Japan. Less crowded, though. At least, the parts I've been to.”

Souji talked about the classes he was taking, making sure to add in some made-up stories about his criminal justice class, and that he'd thought about getting into forensic engineering. Dojima listened and ate, and said very little else for the rest of the meal. As Souji started gathering up the dishes, Ryotaro put a hand on his arm. “Listen, I know Nanako's really, well...anyway, please don't take the things she says and does personally. She's just had a rough life.”

“No worries,” Souji said, not adding that the worries were all  _ his _ .

“One thing, though,” Ryotaro said. “Please just...give her a little space. To be honest, I've never seen her this upset before, though we've never had houseguests before. Just try to avoid her for now, if you can. I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon.”

Souji nodded. Actually, he hoped she would do more than warm up to him, once he figured out how to break through her amnesia and the shell of sarcasm and anger she had somehow built around herself. He intended to get through to the real Nanako, the bright, cheerful one he'd known for so many years. If he could free Taro Namatame, who had been nearly a stranger to him, surely he could do so for his Little Sis.

Now that he knew it was amnesia, and that it could be reversed, he swore to himself that he would return her to normal no matter what it took.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanako kicked her door shut and padded over to her desk. She set the food down and stared at it. It was the most delicious meal she'd had in a long time, and she wanted to smash it all against the wall. It was like a plate of delicious poison. Anything attached to that man was poison. She didn't know why, but she felt it with every fiber of her being.

She took one more bite of the fish. It was flaky, moist, and tender. It disgusted her.

_ Smash it, _ she told herself.

_ No, _ she decided.  _ I'm hungry. _ She continued eating, but it was almost mechanical. After a few minutes she slammed her chopsticks on the desk, causing some of her soup to splash out onto her vanity mirror. She threw herself onto her futon.

She just couldn't understand it. That guy was a stranger to her, family or not. He was an asshole too, she was sure. The way he acted when he came to the door the day before just plain pissed her off. But it was more than that. Just him being there, the previous morning when he'd come to the door, it infuriated her, cutting through the pleasant fog in her head that the sleeping pill she'd stolen from her father's medicine drawer had given her.

Not that she didn't have other things that got under her skin. She practically never saw her dad, though she'd gotten a little bit used to it over the years.

_ Have I? _ she asked. She glanced up at the shelf above her bed. There was a stuffed toy sitting there. It was round and blue, with giant eyes and a wide smile. Where had she gotten that? Had her father given it to her? It had been there for so long, she just didn't remember. It didn't seem tainted, though.

_ Why would it be tainted? _ she thought.

_ It could have come from him, _ she answered.

_ No _ , she said.  _ That's impossible, I never saw him before yesterday _ . Still, she didn't remember where it came from. She reached up toward it, but couldn't will herself off the bed. She dropped her hand and rolled over onto her stomach, clutching her pillow to her chest. She glanced over to the floor, at the loose stacks of music discs and magazines that her father had made her clean out of the guest room. All for Souji, the stranger who claimed to be her cousin.

That raised her blood pressure again. She threw the pillow at the stacks and it struck the wall so hard that it rattled the small pictures hanging on the wall. One of them fell, the glass cracking.

She looked over at the picture. It was of her and her father at the riverbank, taken when she was around 6 or 7. She was wearing a light blue sundress, and her hair was in pigtails. There was another figure in the picture on the other side of her from her father, but it was blurry. She blinked and leaned toward it, but the figure was gone. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. It was just her and her father in the picture, nobody else.

Thanks to the fallen picture there was now broken glass on the floor. “Dammit,” she growled. She curled up into a fetal position and pounded her fist into the bed. She was so angry with that stranger that she felt tears run from her eyes, but she still didn't really understand why.

It was probably because she knew he was up to something. She couldn't put a finger on it, but he was just too sneaky. They way he tried to talk his way into the house with her, the way he'd talked her dad into letting him stay there the very next day. But there was more, she knew it.

She intended to find out what it was. She balled up her fist tightly, and used it to wipe the tears from her eyes. She'd bring down that son of a bitch, hang him with his own rope. She wasn't going to let him do – whatever it was he was planning. Whatever she had to do, she'd be ready.


	6. The Watchers And The Doers

_ Now I face out, I hold out, _ _   
_ _ I reach out to the truth of my life _ _   
_ _ Seeking to seize on the whole moment, yeah... _

Driving guitar music and chanting vocals filled Souji's head. He examined the enemies that had surrounded him, providing the only color in the drab gray environment.

_ “Careful, Souji-senpai,”  _ Astrid said, her voice directly in his ear thanks to her Persona's abilities.  _ “There are four enemies! They look tough.” _

He wasn't sure he agreed with her assessment; while he knew these were skilled fighters, he'd seen worse. Still, he had been through far too much, had won far too many battles, to let these punks stop him here. He was eager to move on, and was ready to plow through them. The music made his adrenaline pump hard in his arteries.

_ Yeah, naked truth lies only if you realize, _ _   
_ _ Appearing in nobody’s eyes till they sterilize. _ _   
_ _ Stop the guerrilla warfare to keep fair. _ _   
_ _ Bro change your rage to a smarter, greater cause... _

“Here I go!” shouted the one on the far left. It was Naoto. She pointed her gun at Souji and fired. Izanagi absorbed the actual blow from the bullet, but he still felt some of the pain. It was more like a sting than actual pain, though. Naoto cried out in frustration. “Someone finish this one off!”

“I've got it!” shouted Chie, second from the right. She ran up to him. “Take this!” She swung her leg at him in a crescent kick. Souji deftly dodged the blow and smacked the back of her leg hard with the butt of his sword, spinning her off-balance and onto the ground.

Astrid squealed in his ear.  _ “Ooh, Senpai, that was soooo cool!” _

He smirked. It wasn't the first time Astrid had overestimated his opponents, and Chie's failed attack had given him the opening he needed. He turned to Yosuke, who stood second from the left. He pulled the Tarot card from his pocket and crushed it, shouting, “Izanagi!” Izanagi came forth from the card's remains and cast Ziodyne, striking Yosuke with its full force. Yosuke cried out in pain and collapsed to his knees, and when Izanagi cast a second Ziodyne, without Souji commanding it, Yosuke crumpled to the floor. Souji saw him twitch a few times as the remnants of the electrical spell danced across his body, but then he finally went still.

_ “Yosuke-senpai, noooo!” _ Screamed the voice in his ear. This time it sounded a bit more like Rise than Astrid, but whoever it was, her cry stopped the music in his head.

“I am thou,” Souji heard behind him. He turned just in time to see Yukiko pointing her fan at him, and her Persona Amaterasu firing off some kind of spell. He guarded with his sword but felt something heavy wash over him. When it had passed he tried to move but every one of his limbs was sluggish. He felt tired all of a sudden, and had trouble keeping his eyes open.

_ “Now, get it while it's weakened!”  _ cried out the voice that, now, was definitely Rise's.

“You're not helping!” Souji said, struggling to force his lips and tongue to form the words.

Yukiko threw her fan at him. He managed to will his limbs into motion, though, enough to block with his sword and deflect the fan toward Chie, who had just managed to get back to her feet. It struck her directly in the chest, and she screamed briefly before falling limply to the floor. The music returned and he felt his strength come back a little with each word chanted over the electric guitar.

_ You know the stake is high, stardom is near. _ _   
_ _ Those who sympathized you die killers pass by _ _   
_ _ Do not waste your time in hating flirting guys. _ _   
_ _ Use your might to AIs do justice to them all... _

_ “Chie-senpai, noooo!” _ Rise screamed.

“Will you stop that?” Souji shouted. He pointed his sword at Naoto and pulled the trigger he'd forgotten was on the hilt. The end exploded in flower petals and Naoto flew backward, struck a wall, and slid to the ground.

“I'm...sorry, everyone,” Naoto said, and then she stopped moving.

“Nooo, you son of a bitch!” Souji spun around to see Kanji charging after him, dragging a dining room table behind him. As Kanji brought it up to strike, Souji, his prior sluggishness completely forgotten, ducked and slid past his attacker, bringing his sword up and across Kanji's chest.

Kanji stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped the table, which clanged loudly against the stone floor. He then fell forward himself, and when he struck the ground he shattered into chunks of ice.

Souji glanced at his sword, which was dripping with water. He then turned to Yukiko, who was now flanked on either side by Ai Ebihara and Teddie.

“Persona!” Ai shouted as she summoned her Persona, Izanami. He looked up at Izanami for a second, and then back to Ai, except she now looked more like Saki Konishi.

“Bear-sona!” Teddie shouted, but with Ryotaro Dojima's voice. A woman rose from his body, and Souji recognized her from her photographs as Nanako's mother.

“Come, Susano-O!” Yukiko shouted, somehow bringing forth Yosuke's Persona from herself.

All three Personas charged him. His lethargy completely gone, he started swinging his sword in wide arcs before him, faster and faster, creating a shield out of his razor sharp swipes. He leaped toward the Personas, and as they met his blade they were shredded like so much rice paper.

Saki, who had turned back into Ai, and Teddie both turned gray and crumbled into piles of dust. Yukiko collapsed to a sitting position. Souji noticed for the first time that she was in a police uniform, except wearing a bright pink bonnet. “I can't go on...” she said.

Souji waved a hand at her and she vanished. He then surveyed the battlefield, examined the bodies, including that of Yumi Ozawa, which had appeared out of nowhere, and Teddie, who was now clenching a revolver in his mitten. Yosuke was flat on his face, and Chie on her back. Naoto sat against the wall with her head resting on her chest.

He could hear nothing above the music, and saw no motion. He realized at that moment that they were all dead. Not unconscious, but  _ dead _ . And he'd killed them. He dropped his sword and looked down at his hands. They were pockmarked, the skin missing in places, and were soaked with blood. No, the blood was pouring  _ from _ them, gushing onto the floor and creating a growing puddle at his feet.

The singing in his head had become almost desperate now...

_ Oh God let met out! Can you let me out? _ _   
_ _ Can you set me free from this dark inner world? _ _   
_ _ Save me now, last beat in the soul... _

_ “S-senpai...”  _ came Rise's voice, drowning out the music once again.  _ “You – you killed dead-dead them.”  _ She was sobbing.  _ “You killed them dead!” _

“They were trying to kill me,” Souji said. His voice felt tiny and choked. “They were...trying to kill me...” For the first time, what he had done truly struck home. He had killed his friends. But they were trying to kill him.

_ “Of course they were!” _ Rise screamed.  _ “You're evil!” _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 12, 2018

Souji's eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath.  _ Oh God what did I do? _ It took a few seconds for the room to come into focus. Once he could see he started to realize that this was not the Shadow World.  _ Then – maybe I didn't kill them _ , he thought. He sat up, and the movement immediately chilled him to the bone. He realized he was completely soaked.

_ I'm sweating, _ he thought, shivering.  _ Was I really fighting?  _ It took a moment for his senses to return, and for him to realize it had just been a dream. A terrible, horrible dream, but just a dream. It left him with a feeling of detachment and pervasive unease. His heart was still thumping against his ribs, and while he was still tired he was in no condition to sleep.

It took him a few more seconds to realize that he wasn't in his dorm room either. This was his room at his uncle's house in Inaba. The events of the past few days flashed back into his consciousness.

The light in his windows was dim. It was early morning again. What time had he gone to bed? He picked up his watch from the floor. 05:32. He didn't feel very well-rested, so must have been pretty late. Then again, it could have just been the nightmare.

He heard a rustling in the hallway. Before he knew what he was doing he stood and headed for the door. He placed his hand on the knob and started to turn, but then stopped. If it was Nanako on the other side, did he really want to deal with her? While his first couple times meeting her had been shocking, he wasn't really frightened of her anymore. He didn't much want to cross paths with her in her current condition, but while he was a guest in this house he didn't see why he had to walk on eggshells. He opened the door.

On the other side was Ryotaro, closing his bedroom door with one hand as he tried to fix his tie with the other. He turned to Souji. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Didn't mean to wake you up.”

Souji shook his head. “Already awake.”

“You okay?” Ryotaro asked. “You're soaked.”

“Yeah, bad dream,” Souji said.

Ryotaro nodded. “Had my fair share of those. Since you're up, c'mon downstairs for a sec.” They headed down the stairs together. Souji felt a little self-conscious to be traipsing around in his uncle's house in just his pajama pants and T-shirt, both soaked with his own sweat, but he did as he was told. Once they were in the kitchen Ryotaro said, “Look, I know you were going to make breakfast for us, but I just got called in to work. Maybe we'll do it another day.”

“Okay,” Souji said. He wasn't sure why this couldn't have been said upstairs.

Ryotaro spent a minute gathering up his badge, holster, and his gun while Souji watched, waiting for something more to be said. As Ryotaro was undoing the gun lock he finally said, “About what I said last night, about Nanako. I know I said to avoid her, but you don't really have to. I mean, don't go out of your way to not be around when she is. She'll come around, she's just really kind of closed off. You know what I mean?”

“I think so,” Souji said. Actually, it sounded to him like a complete retraction of what had been said the night before, but he chose not to point that out.

“Good,” Ryotaro said, tucking his weapon into his underarm holster. “Anyway, I'm off. And don't worry about dinner tonight, because I'm bringing home something special. Don't ask; it's a secret.” He gave a half-smile. “Good luck with your research.”

“Thanks,” Souji said, but Ryotaro was already out the door. He sighed and tiptoed back up the stairs. Nanako's door was shut, but he had no idea if she was already out of the house, or if she was in the room and just being quiet. Given how early it was, she was most likely still asleep. As long as he didn't have to deal with her, anything else was fine with him.

He swiped a hand across his forehead, slick with the oil left by the drying sweat. He needed a shower, desperately. He grabbed his last clean pair of underwear from his room and the clothes he'd worn on the train.  _ Why didn't I bring more with me? _ Souji thought. He was already pessimistic about the chances that the clothes he'd mailed, along with some gifts for everyone from America, were going to make it. Then again, even if it were delivered to the Dojima house and Nanako was there, she might have refused it. Or worse. With his luck someone from the local post office had probably scrounged what they wanted from it and thrown the rest in the trash.

He needed to pick up a few outfits so he wouldn't have to do laundry every other day. For now, he'd have to stick with his own semi-dirty laundry. He went back downstairs into the bathroom and ran himself a quick, cool shower.

He felt a little better afterward, but putting on his dirty clothes helped to cure that. The strange feeling and the guilt from his nightmare still hung over him. He needed a friendly face, and with Taro at work and unavailable most of the day, he really had only one other person he could see. He'd go to the library and see Astrid, maybe do a little more research, and then make a run to Junes. He could be back at the house before lunch, well after Nanako had left for school, and take care of his laundry.

Or he could drop it off at the Inn to be done, since he was technically still paying for the service. He thought about it for a moment, but decided against it. There was little reason for him to be at the Inn, and while the Dojima house didn't hold many warm and fuzzy feelings at the moment, the Inn had practically none.

He exited the bathroom, fully dressed, his wet hair combed back. He crept back up the stairs to his room, his bedclothes and toiletries balled up in one hand. Nanako's door was still shut, and there was still no sound from within. He tucked away his clothes into a corner and stuffed his toiletries into his bag, and exited the house as quickly as he could. Once outside in the fresh air he felt some relief, and took his time walking down the street in the direction of the flood plain.

Back in the house, Nanako was sitting at the window, watching him stroll away. The moment she'd heard the voices outside her room she'd snapped awake and had crept into the hall to listen to everything her dad told Souji. He was taking the bastard's side over hers. She should have known Souji would poison her own father against her. She'd returned to her room and kept quiet as he got ready for his early start, daring to get back out of bed only after she heard the shower running downstairs. She dressed quickly, only slightly off balance as the sleeping pill she'd taken the night before was still doing its work.

She willed herself into alertness as she watched Souji leave the house.  _ Follow him _ , she told herself. As soon as he was a couple houses down she bounded out of her room and down the stairs. Just as she was about to step into her sneakers she stopped and looked back into the kitchen. She needed something as protection, just in case. Her eyes fell onto the drawer by the front door where she kept her pepper spray. While a good tool to threaten someone, it could easily backfire on her especially is she were forced to use it in close quarters. She needed something easy to conceal that would do damage to someone else, not her.

_ Hurry up!  _ she thought. After a few moments she'd made her choice and was out the front door. She looked down the street in time to see him take a right turn and head down the cross street. She walked briskly in the misty morning air, ducking behind a bush or car when she thought he was looking back, trying to keep him in sight without being too visible. She needed to shadow him, to get to the bottom of whatever he was doing, and stop him before he could accomplish it.

She fingered the hilt of the kitchen knife she'd tucked under her shirt.  _ Stop him. Whatever it takes, I've got to stop him. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji had arrived well before the library opened and ended up sitting on the bench by the front door. The next thing he knew he was being nudged awake by a middle-aged woman in a gray sleeveless jacket. “Sir, are you okay?”

“Huh?” He blinked in the bright sunlight. “What...time is it?”

“About eight,” the woman said. “We just opened.”

He noticed the name tag on her shirt, but his vision was too blurry to read it. “Oh, uh, thanks.” He stood, and after the dizziness wore off, he headed into the library. As he passed through the front door he noticed that taped to them were the signs warning about the continuing Internet outage. He wasn't very concerned about that, though. He headed toward the Internet stations, keeping an eye open for Astrid. He didn't see her.

He went upstairs, past the table where the two rude men had been the day before but were, thankfully, not there today. He continued on to the media room, but stopped when a sick feeling started churning his stomach. Memories of the voice, telling him that Astrid was of the Lovers Arcana, began to creep through his head. Along with them were images of Rise, screaming at him for having killed his friends, calling him evil.

_ Stop it, dammit! That was a dream, _ he thought. Dream or not, though, the feeling refused to let him be. He forced himself to continue on. The media room was empty, so he chose a carrel and sat. He stayed there for several moments, staring at the blank computer screen and rubbing his eyes.

He didn't know why the dream was still bothering him. He'd had weird dreams before, even frightening ones. But he'd read up on them for one of his psychology courses, and in dreams one's sense of right and wrong isn't always present. You can do very bad things in your dreams, things you would never do in real life, but that did not mean you would end up doing them in real life.

That was little comfort to him, though. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the mementos from his friends, laying them out on the table and staring at them.  _ Guys, I promise I didn't mean it. I don't care what's happened to you, I don't care what you say or do right now. I'm going to do whatever I can to bring you back. _

He lingered at Rise's picture. He touched a finger to the smiling, made-up face of her alter-ego, Risette.  _ Sotto voce _ , he spoke her note aloud:

**Love Always** **  
** **Your Dear Friend Forever** **  
** **Rise**

_ Did I really lose you? Are you gone from me, forever, replaced by someone else? _ He sighed, and then stood. He needed to stop this. He needed to do something constructive, or at least less destructive to himself than staring at Rise's picture, mourning a loss he wasn't even sure had happened. Just as he took a step toward the disc cases, though, he heard the door open. He glanced over and saw Astrid entering, pushing a cart stacked with disc cases.

She stopped as soon as she saw him and smiled. “Well, good morning, Seta-san. Early start?”

Souji found himself smiling without even knowing he was doing it, the pain of moments before masked from his own heart. “Yeah,” he said. “Still, uh, looking for answers.”

“Aren't we all?” she said, setting the cart over to the side. She glanced over at the carrel at which he'd been sitting, noticing the items spread on it. “Are these yours?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Things...to help me remember.”

Her eyes fell on the photo of Rise, and her smile faded a little. “Are you a fan of Risette?”

Souji looked down at the photo, then back at Astrid. He chuckled and walked over to the carrel. “All the time I was in America I didn't meet one person who knew about her.”

Astrid bit her lower lip, and then shrugged. “Well, I've, um, heard a lot about her since I've been here. I hear she's...pretty good.”

“Actually, she's great,” Souji said. As he said that he could see some color come to Astrid's cheeks and he looked away, not sure why he suddenly felt embarrassed. “She was a good friend, too.”

Astrid tilted her head. “Friend?”

“Yeah,” Souji said. “When I lived here several years ago, she'd just moved back. She's from Inaba, you know. We went to the same school that year.”

“Really?” Astrid said. It sounded more like surprise than interest to him.

“Well, yeah,” Souji said. “I know, it probably sounds like name-dropping, but it's the truth.” He laughed. “Listening to me say it, even I don't think it sounds like the truth. Heh, she wasn't what you'd think a star'd be like. She was – really sweet. Not a mean bone in her body.”

“And she gave you this?” Astrid asked, staring at the picture. The smile was gone from her face now, replaced with a look of utter confusion.

Souji noticed this. “Uh...yeah. In fact, it was the day she decided to go back into show business. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Astrid said absently, still staring at the photo. “'Love Always, Your Dear Friend Forever, Rise'. She must have been...close to you if she signed it like that.”

“What do you mean?” Souji asked. He leaned forward a little, trying to put himself into Astrid's field of vision.

She swallowed. “She – she signed it 'Rise', not 'Risette'. She never...never signs autographs 'Rise'. She must have thought you – you were special.”

Souji gave a nervous laugh. “Well, don't sound  _ too  _ surprised someone thought that. Might bruise the old ego a little.”

Astrid didn't laugh. In fact, she looked as if she were about to be sick. He put his hand on her arm, but pulled it back as if it were on a trigger. Her skin was hot, as if she were running a fever.

She backed away, bumping into a set of shelves and knocking over some disc cases. “I...I have to...” she started but then stopped, her lips continuing to move soundlessly. Souji stepped forward to help her but she kept backing away from him until she bumped up against the door, and then slid down into a fetal position on the floor.

“Astrid?” He pulled out his cell phone and was about to call for help when he saw her draw in a deep breath. When she let it out, black smoke poured out of her mouth, her nose, her eyes, her ears. Her head flopped forward and she started panting.

Souji knelt down. This was the same thing Taro had done the night before when his amnesia had broken. Had he somehow managed to help Astrid break hers? But she didn't know him before yesterday. What could she have forgotten? “You okay?” He placed a hand on her face, touching gently, as if afraid that he would tear her skin by touching too hard. Her cheeks had gone cold. “Astrid? Say something.”

She snapped her head up and stared straight into his eyes. It started out as a look of horror, but quickly became one of recognition, of relief. She looked to be on the verge of tears.

“S-Senpai...” she said.

He leaned away from her.  _ Senpai?  _ She'd called him that in his dream, too. Brief images from it flashed into his mind “Astrid? A-are you okay?”

“I – think I am now...”

“What happened?” he said.

She stared into his eyes. “I remember...everything. Everything. How did...why did it all...?”

Her accent was gone. She sounded very Japanese, and very familiar. Just like the dream, where Astrid's voice became... “You're...you're not...?”

Astrid opened her mouth, fully exposing her buckteeth. She then pinched the front two teeth and pulled away. Souji started, expecting to see a blank space where the teeth had been, but in their place was a row of perfect, pearly teeth. She reached up with her other hand and removed the thick-rimmed glasses.

“Senpai, it's me.”

Souji stared at her for a full ten seconds, before he finally said the name that had been pushing its way toward his lips. “Rise?”

She threw her arms around him. “Souji-senpai,” she said, her voice choked and squeaking. “What happened to me? Why couldn't I remember?”

“I - I don't know,” Souji said. He was still trying to put this all together in his head. Astrid was Rise. Rise was Astrid. But why? Why the disguise?

“I tried, when I saw you. I tried so hard, but I couldn't remember. You were so familiar, made me feel so good just to see you, but I couldn't figure out why. What happened to me?”

“I don't know,” Souji said, “but you're not the only one. It's happening to everyone.” He tried to help her to her feet, but it was as if her legs were made of rubber. Instead he had to literally carry her into the nearest seat. He pulled up another chair and sat in front of her. She was staring at him, tears leaking from her eyes, but she had started to smile a little. “Are you okay?” he asked

“I don't know,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek. Souji felt a chill at her touch. “I think so, I guess. Maybe seeing this picture, the one I gave you...it was like I knew you were there, in my mind, but I was forcing myself not to know you. But the picture, it was like proof, and I couldn't deny it anymore.” She set the elements of her disguise on the table and took his hands. “I can't believe I was trying to forget you!”

“Is that why you were in disguise?” Souji asked. “But why even come to Inaba, then? Why did you cancel the concert?”

Rise shook her head. “I don't know, I don't know. I just  _ did _ . Right after I got to Inaba the other day I started feeling weird. I kept thinking, 'I can't do this'. Before I knew it, I'd had my manager send out a press release and then sent my crew home.”

Souji nodded. “I've got to say, I've felt that a lot since I've been here. But why'd you stay? And why the disguise?”

“I couldn't leave,” Rise said. “I had to stay, but I just couldn't do the concert. I don't know why. It made sense the other day, but now...” she sighed and brought one of his hands up to her cheek. It felt warmer to his touch now. “Now I just don't know.” She shrugged. “I've got a new movie I'm gonna be in soon. It's about a lonely librarian who meets the man of her dreams when he comes looking for a rare book, and I thought I'd try play acting it.” She laughed. “Ironic, huh?”

Souji wasn't sure what she meant by that. “I...guess?”

“The library let me pretend to be a librarian in exchange for a – generous donation.” she continued, smiling. “I was just trying to not be Risette. Guess it worked if it fooled you, huh?”

“I'd say so,” Souji said. “I really thought you were American. The only clue I had was...” He stopped. Did he  _ have _ any clues? The voice that had told him about her being of the Lovers Arcana made him think she'd been replaced. He hadn't even suspected Astrid and Rise were one and the same.

“Was what?” she asked.

“Your eyes,” was the first thing he could think of.

She looked up at him. “But with the contacts in they're blue. How could you tell?” Still she was smiling, her cheeks bright red.

“It was just a feeling. They looked familiar, that's all. You're a really good actress.”

She looked down at her lap. “Thanks, Senpai. It – really means a lot coming from you.”

He smiled shyly and shrugged. “So, anyway, you canceled your concert when you got here, and something made you try to forget about me, but it still made you stay?”

Before Rise could answer the door behind her opened. She immediately pushed herself away from him and cleared her throat. “A-anyway, sir,” she said, quickly adopting her false accent and snatching up her glasses and fake buckteeth, “if I can be of more help please don't hesitate to call.” She slipped on the glasses and put the teeth back in her mouth. “Oh, here's the info on the article I told you about.” She snatched a slip of paper from the corner of the desk, pulled a pen out of her shirt pocket and scribbled something down on it. She passed it to him and stood, reaching for her cart. She almost tripped as one of her sandals slid partway off, just barely catching herself on the chair. She steadied herself, adjusted her sandal strap, and finally left the room. Just before the door closed she slid her glasses down her nose and gave Souji a wink.

Souji could only stare blankly at the door. Why did she leave all of a sudden? So many emotions were swirling around inside that he couldn't even begin to sort them out. Joy, surprise, relief, confusion, and about a dozen other things he wasn't even sure had words. One thing rose to the forefront of his mind, though, and it made his heart beat rapidly. He hadn't lost Rise at all; she was right here the whole time. Maybe Igor was right after all, that the bonds he shared with others were always there even if he didn't think they were.

He gave a quick glance to the person who'd interrupted them. She was at least pretending to not have not noticed him as she stared at the computer screen in her own carrel. She glanced briefly at him and then returned to whatever she was doing.

Souji looked down at the note Rise had slipped him:

**meet me main entrance** **  
** **lunch 1230** **  
** **so happy your back in my memories**

He was happy too. Maybe for the first time in a long time, he was happy. Last night's nightmare all but forgotten, he turned back to the mementos spread across the desk behind him.

It was the photo that had broken through Rise's memory. When she'd seen it, once it stirred up her memories, it had done the same for her as when Taro's memories returned. In fact, from what Rise had described, her own mind was trying to forcibly block them. And that smoke that had come out of them both - could that have been some form of the fog?

His elation started to fade. If that was fog, could it be Izanami all over again? He didn't know, but maybe these mementos would be the key to freeing his friends. Would it work with the others? He felt in his pocket for the key chain Yukiko had given him.

There was one way to find out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ You cheated. _

_ I did not. _

The brother puffed himself up, attempting to tower over the sister.  _ That girl shook me off like I was a dried leaf that had fallen in her hair. There's no way she could have done that herself. That's not even to mention how easily your pet got through to the man. _

The sister looked up at her brother, and then grew until she was staring directly across into his eyes.  _ You've interfered far more than you agreed you would. We're even now. _

_ Hardly. If you think I'm going to let you get away with that... _

_ Threats are beneath you, my brother. _

“ _ Choosing what we are above is a privilege of us gods.” I believe you told me that once. _

_ Acting like a spoiled human child is hardly godlike. _

The brother sneered at the sister, but he shrank back down.  _ If you wish to escalate this, so be it. I'd intended this to be a spectator sport, and I thought that was what you'd agreed to. If you want to make this a full battle, though, I'm prepared. _

_ It's hardly fair for a god to use all his power to defeat a mere mortal. _

_ Izanami tried that and lost, remember? _

_ Izanagi helped the mortal, because the fight was inherently unfair. If we intervene to the fullest extent of our powers every time something on Earth doesn't go exactly according to our wishes, we are no longer gods. We are puppeteers, and mortals are reduced to wood and string. What good is all of existence then? _

The brother stared at her for a long moment.  _ All right, all right, you've made your point. I'll use restraint, but I'm no longer sitting back if you won't. _

_ Fair enough, but don't think I'm going to let you have free reign.  _ The sister gazed at him, as if measuring him up.

The brother grinned.  _ If you did that, I'd be sorely disappointed. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji arrived at the Inn by bus at about ten minutes before nine. He didn't know when Yukiko started work, though he knew she always started early and ended late. He walked to “his” room, which he hadn't been in for a whole day. He fished in his wallet for the key card but stopped. Why go inside? She wouldn't be in there. He sighed, put his wallet away, and headed back toward the front of the Inn. At the end of the corridor he took a left toward the springs, walking as slowly as he could comfortably. He decided to just continue walking around the inn as long as possible, until he either ran into Yukiko or he was asked to leave.

As he passed the dining room, though, the aroma of eggs, fish, rice, and coffee all washed over him. It reminded him he hadn't eaten yet, and that was becoming a bad habit. He then remembered the meal coupons the clerk had given him, and pulled one out of his wallet.  _ Might as well kill time and eat for free _ , he thought. He took one more look around and, not seeing Yukiko anywhere, stepped into the dining room. His appetite had been very closely tied to the ups and downs of his moods lately, and he needed to take advantage of his “up” mood while it lasted.

It was almost half past nine before he finished his breakfast. As he exited the dining room he finally saw Yukiko standing by the front desk, greeting guests as they checked out. He reached into his pocket and fingered the key chain. He grasped it tightly and muttered a quiet prayer. It had been some time since he prayed, his faith having ebbed as the optimism of youth had given way to the drudge of adulthood. Still, he held out hope that he could at least free one more mind, the mind of the woman he'd loved.

He pulled the key chain out, still grasping it tightly as he approached her. When she saw him he could see a flash of surprise, but her polite smile barely faltered. He'd forgotten how good an actress  _ Yukiko _ was, when it came to performing her duties. However, from her body language, which he knew quite well, he could tell she was wishing she could make a hasty exit. “Good morning, Seta-san. How are you?”

“Okay,” he said. “Um, listen, I was wondering if you could help me.”

“Of course,” Yukiko said. He recognized her smile, her best “ _ I'm humoring you” _ grin.

He held up the key chain Yukiko looked at it, then back at him. Souji said, “I – seem to have misplaced my key chain. It was a gift from someone...uh, really close. Someone I care a lot about, and who cares a lot about me. It looked exactly like this.”

He held it out to her, and after she stared at it for a time she finally took it, holding it up to her eyes. She stared at it for several seconds, examining it. Her eyes narrowed, then widened. They narrowed again. She took a deep breath...

...and then let it out. She handed it back to him. “If anyone finds it I'll make sure we get it back to you.”

Souji studied her face for any kind of recognition, anything to indicate he'd gotten through to her. “You – it doesn't look familiar to you at all?”

Yukiko shook her head. “I'm afraid not, but if the one you lost looks like this one I'm sure I'll know it when I see it. It seems quite...unique.” She turned her head away from him to the woman checking out. “Did you enjoy your evening, Yoshida-san?”

Souji turned away and skulked toward the door, the key chain dangling in his grip.  _ So it wasn't just the picture, it had to have been the memories it brought back. But what kind of memories would be strong enough to bring Yukiko back? _ He sighed as he slipped the key chain back into his pocket and stepped outside. He had placed a little too much hope that he could have his girl...  _ No, _ he corrected himself,  _ ex-girlfriend _ . Too much hope he could have his  _ ex _ -girlfriend back, and at the very least he could find out why she'd married without telling him.

Still, things weren't a total loss, and he understood that. He had Rise and Taro, and was in infinitely better shape than he was twenty four hours ago. For now that would be enough, and he would be happy for what he had. He checked his watch. He still had plenty of time to pick up some clothes at Junes. At least he wasn't starving anymore.

He just wished he could find some pattern in things that would help him move closer to the solution for this mystery. While he knew the pursuit of truth was rarely easy, it would be nice if, just for once, things would fall into place on their own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He'd managed to avoid spending too much on his clothes, getting his jeans from the clearance rack and buying plain bagged T-shirts, underwear, and socks. He changed clothes at home before returning to the library, washing the dirty ones and setting them up to dry on a rack in his room. The jeans had deep pockets, so he was able to transfer most of his things from his jacket and leave it in the closet; the air had become even hotter and heavier than in the past few afternoons, and he could feel the moisture collecting. After having finally put on some clean clothes the last thing he needed was to soak them with sweat five minutes after going outside.

He arrived at the library's main entrance a little early to see Rise already there waiting for him. “Hey, Senpai!” she said, waving. She was still wearing her glasses and blue contact lenses, and he could see from her wide smile she still had the buckteeth in.

Souji checked his watch. “Sorry, I thought you said 12:30.”

“I did, but I quit.”

“You...quit?”

“Yeah, it's not like I'm doing it for the money or anything. There are plenty of libraries in the country I can practice in.  _ You're _ more important.” She pulled out the fake teeth and tossed them in a trashcan, and then flashed him a wide, bright smile. “I think next time I'll do something else, like freckles or something. Those fake teeth are such a pain.”

They exchanged some small talk as they walked the short distance to Kugunan, an upscale sushi restaurant just down the street from the library. As soon as they were seated at their small table Souji was shocked to see the prices on the menu, but Rise waved him off. “It's my treat, of course,” she said. “And no just getting a salad,” she clarified, wagging a finger at him. “Don't be afraid to get  _ uni  _ or  _ toro _ , if you like them.”

Souji knew there would be no fighting it, but managed to talk her into ordering a variety for them to share. After they had finished ordering Souji found himself gazing at Rise, looking much more mature than the last time he'd seen her in person, or even in the movies she'd shot in the time hence. Between that and the short, dyed-blond hair, it was no wonder a pair of glasses, prosthetic teeth, and blue contacts fooled him. She had even done a passable job speaking her native Japanese with an American accent.

He must have lingered a little too long, because she was blushing. “You're staring at me, Senpai.”

“Sorry,” Souji said, “I just...I can't tell you how close I've been to giving up lately. You're the only one of our friends that remembers me. Everybody else...” He sighed and hung his head. “It's like I never existed.”

Her hand was suddenly on his. He looked up. “Well,  _ I  _ didn't remember  _ you  _ either.” She looked down at the table. “I was playing the part of the lonely librarian, and when I saw you, I knew nothing about you. I mean, I felt something, like I  _ should _ know you, but I didn't. Then, all of a sudden when I saw that picture, what I wrote on it, and I started thinking about it, it was like something just...clicked. And there you were, in my head, just like you were before I got here.”

“Before you got here?” Souji said. “So when you got to Inaba you forgot?”

Rise shrugged. “Yeah, it's like, I went to sleep in the tour bus, and when I woke up, I just felt weird. Nothing made sense to me. I couldn't go through with the concert, but I couldn't leave. I just...couldn't.” She crossed her arms, shivering as if she were cold. “Every time I thought about leaving I started feeling sick. I think I did the librarian thing to have something constructive to do, since I couldn't go anywhere else.”

“Well, you're a pretty good actress. I had no idea you were anyone but 'Astrid'.”

Rise smiled, her cheeks reddening just a little. “Stop it, Senpai, you're flattering me too much.” She looked away for a moment, and then turned back to him. “You know, when you were gone from my memory, it was like something was missing. I felt...off, like I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, doing something I wasn't supposed to do. Even though the thought of doing anything else just made me sick to my stomach. And I'm not talking about the concert, I mean. Just – like a part of me was gone.” She reached over and touched his hand again. “You know what I mean?”

A chill went through his entire body every time she touched him, but did his best to suppress it. He could feel the emotions swirling about him, relief combined with lingering worry, mixed in with happiness that everyone hadn't been completely lost to him. The feelings Rise described, about being detached and sick to her stomach were the same things he had experiences over the past three years every time he'd thought about returning to Inaba. Though a bit of that still lingered, a piece of him had fallen back into place. He felt more complete than he had in a very long time.

“Senpai? You okay?”

Souji blinked and turned back to her. He realized her hand was still on his. “What? I'm sorry.”

“I think I lost you there for a sec. You okay?”

He smiled. “Actually, yes. I'm a lot more okay than I've been in a while.”

“Well, good, because someone needs to help me eat all that sushi.”

“You know, we're not in school anymore. You don't have to call me 'senpai'.”

She tilted her head forward. “You'll always be my senpai, Senpai.” That made his cheeks feel even hotter, and despite the air conditioning he was afraid he'd start sweating.

No sooner had she said that than their plate arrived. Rise made her first choice, some salmon roe, and purred as she rolled it around in her mouth, making no secret that she enjoyed every second of it. Souji felt himself grow lightheaded, hearing her so content. He quickly stuffed an imitation crab roll in his mouth, to force himself to concentrate on it instead of...whatever else it was in his head.

Rise was on cloud nine. It was as if all the weight she'd ever felt had been lifted off her shoulders, and it wasn't the sushi. As long as she'd known him, Souji had been a strong part of her life. Even when they were apart, even when she was half a world away from him, she could feel his presence with her, giving her the strength to go on, reminding her that there was one man in this world that cared about her as Rise the woman, not only as Risette the idol. She loved him, always had. It didn't matter to her that he had expressed his love for her as that of a brother. Even if that was all he could give to her she would always be happy.

He was the first and only man who didn't swoon over her, didn't think “Risette” when he saw her. That was why she had signed the photo “Rise”; it was the name she knew had real meaning for him. She had been drawn to him from the moment they'd met, and while she could tell he had a magnetism about him, it was his strength that had driven her, given her the courage to continue on. He had taught her, through his words and his acts, that she needed to seize her life and do what she loved most. Even if that meant embracing “Risette” once again and becoming another pretty face and voice to nearly all the people she met, it still fulfilled her. The only thing that could have fulfilled her more would have been if Souji had come with her as she pursued her career.

She knew early on that was impossible, that his heart had belonged to Yukiko. She knew how much Yukiko loved him in return, and she had learned that, when you love someone, you want their happiness above all else. She had made the sacrifice of always being an arm's length from Souji, giving up a little of her own to ensure  _ his _ .

_ That was then, though. Now it's all different. _ She was now Souji's only friend. He was vulnerable, it was all she could do to keep from taking advantage of that vulnerability. She knew right away that he felt that attraction to her, much stronger than he ever had before. But she was not the kind of girl to seduce a man when he was at his weakest. If it was his destiny to be with her, then she would let him come. If it wasn't, then she would at least be happy that he had his own happiness.

She sighed. The sushi was sooo good, and it perfectly complemented what she felt for her company. She reached her chopsticks down for a piece of shrimp, but her sticks clicked against another pair. She looked up and smiled. “Go ahead.”

“No, it's okay.”

“Senpai.” She lowered her head but kept her eyes trained on him, just over the rim of her glasses. “Take it. Please.”

The embarrassment on his face was so cute she almost giggled. As he picked up the shrimp she said, “You know, it's weird. When you're this big star, everyone wants to be around you, but nobody wants to be close to you. Not real closeness. It's like you have some kind of aura and they want to take a little piece of it for themselves so they can burn a little brighter, you know? They don't really care about what's underneath it.”

Souji, who was chewing on the shrimp, raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“They always ask you dumb questions, too. Like they're some kind of reporter looking for the big story. 'What do you eat for breakfast?' 'Are you seeing anyone?' 'What's it like to be Rise Kujikawa, star of stage and screen?'” She laughed. “I mean, who talks like that, anyway? They've always got that hungry look, like 'If you feed me a little of your energy I can go on.' But there's almost nobody that gives you a  _ real  _ look.”

“What kind of look?” Souji asked.

Rise smiled broadly. “The kind of look you give me.”

Souji turned away, and she could see redness begin to fill his cheeks again. She gained so much pleasure out of making this taciturn man show his feelings.

_ She's flirting with you _ , Souji thought. He'd had girls flirt with him before, even when he was in America and was too busy with this schoolwork to really notice. He'd missed or ignored so many advances that he'd heard some people actually thought he was gay. While he was secure enough in his masculinity for that not to bother him, it had served as a reminder that he needed to stop once in a while and smell the roses (as one of his classmates had put it to him). He'd had a couple flings, though none of them had been much of anything beyond physical. He hadn't really enjoyed the attention that much, and had found it hard to become embarrassed even when a pretty girl had made eye contact with him across a crowded room.

With Rise it felt different, though. He knew she was genuine. He liked it and didn't want her to stop. He felt guilty about that, though. He felt guilty because, in the past, his feelings for Rise had been like those of a brother, despite how much she'd flirted with him. Deep down, he still loved Yukiko and held out the slight hope that, somehow, he and she could be together again. Despite their separation, despite her marriage, despite her lack of memory for him. It all made him feel dirty, and he tried to push his feelings for Rise back down into the depths of his heart.

He didn't know why he couldn't just let himself be happy.

Rise could see the change in his expression, and the giddiness settled away from her. He liked her, she could see it. And yet, there was something else there, keeping him from expressing it. She knew what that something was without even asking. All flirting aside, there were important matters they needed to discuss. “Senpai, what's happening? Please tell me everything.”

Souji was prepared for this. He had already expressed it to Namatame, though since he had already told the story once, he had pretty firmly cemented it into his mind. He described the sequence of events from his lonely arrival in Inaba to his first meeting with Nanako.

“No,” Rise said. “I don't believe it. That's not Nanako.”

“I spent a lot of time telling myself that,” Souji said, “but I can't deny it. Whatever's happened to her, that's Nanako right now. I just hope that the real her is still buried somewhere in there.” He continued on to his first meeting with Yukiko and what he'd learned about her then.

“Married?” Rise said, interrupting him again.

Souji nodded slowly.

“Married,” she repeated. “No, that can't be. She would have told you. Somebody would have told you. Somebody would have told  _ me _ .”

Hearing that made Souji feel a little better, though not much. “What if they didn't want me to know? If they'd told you, would you have told me?”

“You bet I would've!” Rise said a little quickly. “I – I mean, you'd  _ deserve _ to know. But that doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't they  _ want _ you to know?”

Souji shook his head and shrugged. “There's a lot that doesn't make sense lately.”

“But you said you talked to them the day before you arrived, right? So they would have known then, for sure. Why wouldn't they have warned you? You'dve found out when you got here, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But that'd be totally cruel for them not to tell you when they knew you were coming.”

Souji sighed. “Maybe. I really haven't been able to think straight a whole lot since I got here.”

“Well, I'd feel the same way if I found out the man I loved turned out not just to be married, but also to have forgotten me completely. I'd probably spend a whole day crying.”

Souji chuckled a little. He'd been pretty close to that at times.

Rise took his hand across the table in both of hers. “Well, anyway, tell me the rest. What happened after you met Yukiko?”

The tingling returned as soon as she touched him, but he did his best to ignore it for now. He described his meeting with Teddie and Yosuke, and how neither of them seemed to have a clue about the Shadow World. He described, in detail, his meeting with the threesome at Aiya, and Rise put her hands to her mouth. “Chie did that? No way, I don't believe it. She's not mean like that.”

“I think they teach you that at the police academy,” Souji said. “You gotta be threatening, without actually threatening someone, I guess. I wasn't hallucinating, though. It was her.”

“Wow,” Rise said. This went far deeper than she could have imagined, and for the first time was starting to get worried. “What happened next?”

Souji told how he had a brief meeting with Naoto, but that she had taken his message at the inn and refused to leave him one in return, other than a verbal “read receipt”. He left out his dream about the new Velvet Room; he had figured out early on that his friends were unable to see the blue doorway, and when he entered he just appeared to them to be standing in place for a split second before turning around and walking in the opposite direction. With all they were going through that year, the last thing they needed were further complications that didn't affect them one way or the other.

He then told her his conclusion about finding Adachi, and that in the process he had run into his uncle, who had given him a room without a second thought. “Just like that?” Rise asked. Souji nodded. “Huh, I thought he'd be more paranoid than that, especially since he doesn't remember you living with him before.”

“I thought the same thing, though in the end I wanted to...well, stay in his house rather than the inn.”

Rise shook her head. “I still can't believe that about Nanako. That sounds like a completely different person.”

“She looks like one,” Souji said. “She has Nanako's face, but everything else was someone else. Kind of. I mean...” He frowned. “She sounded like all the resentment Nanako might have had, if it came to the surface. Her dad's job, my being away, even if she doesn't remember me, the more I think about it the more I imagine that's how she'd feel about me being gone so long.”

“Well, that just means we need to save her first, right?” Rise said. “Did she give you something that'll jog her memory? Like the picture I gave you?”

“Yeah, but I don't have it with me. I just brought a small bag with me, and I didn't want it to get damaged. It's back in America with most of my other things.”

“Oh,” Rise said. “Well, we'll find a way, I promise.”

“I hope so,” Souji said. “We won't have to do it alone, though. There's someone else who can help us.”

Rise tilted her head. “Who? Your uncle?”

“No,” Souji said. He looked around them to make sure nobody was paying particular attention to them. He leaned close to her. “Taro Namatame.”

“Namatame?” Rise said, backing away from him as if he'd struck her. Souji held up his hands and glanced around again. Some eyes had turned their direction, but he just waved a hand and and smiled until their attention returned to their own business. Rise really did feel like she'd been struck. She said, more quietly, “The guy who kidnapped me and Nanako?  _ That _ Taro Namatame?”

“He's not a bad person. He was trying to help, and got carried away. Adachi tricked him, worse than he did us. When I first met him, he seemed to remember me. He didn't really  _ remember _ , but he didn't just dismiss me, either. He's like me, at least, he got his abilities the same way I did. Whatever's affecting everyone here, it's not affecting him as strongly. He can help us.”

“Yeah, I guess, but...Namatame?” She crossed her arms over her stomach, as if she were cold. “Isn't his name, like, mud around here?”

“Well, yeah, but it's not much worse than mine.”

“Senpai...” Rise started.

“It's true,” Souji said. “Everywhere I've gone it seems like people want nothing to do with me.”

“Well, wait. My memories came back when I saw the picture I gave you, right? So do you have anything with you that will help  _ anyone _ else remember?”

Souji shook his head. “Already tried with Yukiko this morning.” He pulled his key chain out and showed her. “She gave me this on our first Christmas Eve. I thought maybe it'd bring something back, but...well, nothing.”

“Oh,” Rise said. Did that mean there was nothing tied to that key chain to make her remember, or that there was nothing between them at all? She sighed.  _ Don't do that, not now. _ “Then we need to get together, all three of us, and start making plans. If we're gonna figure this out, if we're gonna save Nanako and everyone else, we need to get started, right?”

Souji nodded. He glanced up at a clock. “Taro's at work, but I'll call him and set up a time.”

Rise tilted her head. “You call him 'Taro'?”

“He insisted,” Souji said. He pulled out his phone, located Taro's number in the directory, and dialed it.

“ _ Hello?” _

“Taro-kun,” Souji said, “it's Souji.”

“ _ Hey, I was hoping you'd call,” _ Taro said. “ _ I've been thinking a lot about, well, everything. What we talked about, everything that's been going on – I think we need to get moving. Whatever's happening is too serious to just let it sit.” _

“What's he saying?” Rise said.

Souji held up a hand. “Yeah, I think so too. I've got some good news, though. There's someone else who can help us. I'm with her now.”

“Don't tell him who I am,” Rise said, shaking her head vehemently. To Souji's questioning look she said, “Please just don't, okay?”

“ _ Who is it?” _

“It's a long story,” Souji said. “Look, when are you free to meet?”

“ _ Right now,”  _ Taro said. “ _ I took the day off. I just needed time to think, but sitting around's just tearing at me. I really want to act.” _

“Now,” Souji mouthed to Rise. She pointed to the sushi in front of them, and he nodded. “How about a half hour from now, at Hill Park?”

“ _ I'll be there,” _ Taro said.

“See you then.” Souji closed his phone.

“Why there?” Rise asked.

“It's out of the way, and usually not too crowded.”

“Well, we'd better hurry up and finish eating, then,” she said, smiling. “Don't want all this lovely sushi going to waste!”

As they finished working through the sushi platter and chatted about less serious topics, they were oblivious to the fact that their entire conversation had been listened to. Sitting at another table, her hat pulled down over her face, was Naoto. She sipped on her water as she listened to the voice amplifier in her ear.

_ Rise Kujikawa _ , she thought.  _ So now you're hanging around with a movie star in disguise, of all people, and you've managed to draw her into your delusions as well. Looks like I was right to keep an eye on you; this is getting very interesting. _ She noticed a dark figure out the corner of her eye, and glanced at the front window. A girl was standing there. She was in clothes too dark to be comfortable in the late spring heat, her face pressed to the glass, her hands shielding her eyes from the sun. She was staring directly in the direction of Seta and his friend.

_ Now just who are  _ you _? _ Naoto thought. She recognized the look on the girl's face: distrust, with a heavy dose of dislike.  _ Extreme _ dislike. She glanced back to Souji and Rise.  _ It seems you've made some enemies since you've been here.  _ Whoever that was, though, Naoto had to make sure she wouldn't disrupt her investigation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanako had done her best to stay on Souji's trail all day. She had followed him from the house to the library, but when he'd left there and gotten on the bus, she'd lost him. Still, something had told her he'd come back to the library, so she'd remained there waiting for him. It was boring as hell with the Internet not working, but she'd managed. Eventually she found her instincts were right, and Souji returned to meet some blond little number who looked kind of like a teacher.

She followed them to the restaurant, which she unfortunately couldn't enter unless she wanted to give away her cover. Instead she hid as best she could in the bushes outside. It was hot out and she could smell her own sweat, though it didn't overpower the aromas from the restaurant which reminded her she hadn't eaten all day. What she  _ really _ wanted was some water, though, but she had to stay focused. It was up to her to stop him, an she didn't want to lose track of him again.

She didn't know how long they'd been in there, but they were finally getting up. He saw the girl hand money to the waitress. Nanako snorted. Of course Souji would make the girl pay. He seemed like the type.

She ducked down out of sight as they exited the restaurant and she got her first good look at the girl. She was blond and blue-eyed, with thick-rimmed glasses. She looked nerdy, with her white blouse, tan slacks, and sandals, but there was some kind of grace about her, something Nanako couldn't quite put her finger on. She watched them as they headed down the street. Just as she stepped out from the bushes someone behind her said, “What's your interest in them?”

Nanako spun around to see a woman, about her height, in a business suit and with a goofy-looking hat covering her blue hair. “Mind your own business, Blue,” Nanako said.

“You're Lieutenant Dojima's daughter, aren't you?” the woman said. “I've seen your photo on his desk.”

“What's it to you?” Nanako said, darting her eyes back to Souji and Rise to make sure they didn't get too far away. This was really getting annoying.

“And he's staying in your house?”

“So?”

“Listen,” the woman said, “whatever you think you're doing by following him, you're not helping.”

Nanako crossed her arms. Her eyes were drawn to the slight bulge under the woman's right arm, which she recognized immediately as a concealed weapon. “Who are you?”

“I'm a detective-at-large working with the Inaba Police.” She pulled her identification from her jacket pocket and showed it to Nanako. Naoto Shirogane. She knew that name from somewhere. Maybe her dad had mentioned it before, or maybe... “What you're doing could be considered a crime, following them around and spying on them.”

Nanako scowled. This was taking too long, and Souji was getting away. “So what are you, their bodyguard?”

“I'm advising you, let them be,” Naoto said. “Don't get involved.”

_ Who does this ama think she is? _ “Bite me, okay? You wanna tell my dad what I'm doing, go ahead.” She turned and ran in the direction Souji and that girl had gone, hoping she'd catch sight of them again before they disappeared completely. She kept in the back of her mind to ask her dad about that Shirogane person, though. She didn't know or care what she wanted with Souji, but Nanako wouldn't let her protect him, if that's what she intended. She was just glad the detective, if that was indeed what she was, hadn't searched her and found the knife she'd stowed away.

Naoto watched as Nanako ran away. She put her hands to her hips and sighed. She needed to keep a watch on the girl to make sure she wouldn't be in any danger, especially when she found out Souji was hanging out with Taro Namatame. While Naoto didn't think the girl would do anything to directly tip them off, the last thing she needed was for her to go to her father and get the police involved. It wasn't time for that yet.

This was Naoto's investigation, and she wasn't yet ready to share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wow, I forgot how pretty Inaba is from up here,” Rise said.

They were standing at the fence looking down at Inaba, in the same place Souji and Taro had been the evening before. “Yeah,” Souji said. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds now covering the sky, and in the distance they could see the rain approaching. He guessed they had no more than an hour before it hit town.

There was a bit more foot traffic this afternoon than there had been the night before, though nobody paid them any attention. Souji kept an eye out for Taro, and when the older man finally arrived he waved him over. Taro paused for a moment when he saw Souji and Rise together, but then walked up to them. “Uh, hi,” he said.

“Hi,” Rise said, still wearing her glasses and contact lenses. She adjusted her position slightly so that Souji was slightly between her and Taro. “How, um, have you been, Namatame-san?”

Taro frowned. “Uh...okay. I'm sorry, but you've got me at a disadvantage.”

“Sorry,” Souji said. “Taro-kun, this is Rise Kujikawa.”

Taro gasped. “K-Kujikawa-san?” He backed away a step.

“No, it's okay,” Rise said, holding up a hand. “Please, Souji-senpai told me everything.” She gave him her winning Risette smile. “Really, it's okay.”

Taro turned from Rise to Souji, and back to Rise. “Well...okay.” He stayed a step away, though.

“C'mon,” Souji said, gesturing toward the picnic table. “Let's sit. We've got a lot to talk about.” He sat down on the bench, Rise sitting next to him. After a moment Taro walked around the table and sat on the opposite side.

Souji leaned toward Taro and said, “We've figured out what's going on. At least, a little of it. It looks like everyone's memory has been affected, but it's not just that. People's memories are being blocked, but they're also getting, well, manipulated, I guess.” He turned to Rise. “You had the sudden feeling when you got here that you couldn't go through with your concert, but you couldn't leave either. When I was overseas, for at least the past couple years every time I thought about coming back I felt, well, I guess  _ sick _ .”

“I didn't know that,” Rise said. “Why didn't you ever tell me?”

Souji held up a hand. “We can't worry about that right now. The big issue is what's happening now. I don't know how or why, but certain things have been removed. I'm one of them. There are a few other details, but, at the risk of sounding egotistical, almost all of it so far seems to revolve around me somehow.”

“Around you,” Taro said. He stroked his stubbly chin. “Why you?”

“Because he was the leader of our group seven years ago,” Rise said, “when we stopped Adachi and Iza...” She stopped.

“It's okay,” Souji said. “He knows everything now. Izanami, Adachi, everything we did.”

Taro nodded. “Still not totally sure I believe it all, but it's not like being able to go into a TV is an everyday ability.” He noticed Rise staring at him, and said, “Sorry, I didn't mean...”

“Don't apologize,” Rise said, trying to smile. “You – didn't know what you were doing until we came after you. Afterward you were so disgusted with yourself, and I...I felt so bad for you.”

“Well I'm no hero,” Taro said. “Not much for me to  _ not  _ be disgusted about.”

“Taro-kun, don't,” Souji said. “I think that your powers are why you remembered me, even just a little, before your memories came all the way back. Izanami may have been playing a game when she gave you your power, but you've still got it and it makes you very important. You can see through the fog of lies to the truth, if you want to.”

Taro smiled half-heartedly. “Sounds poetic. Not really true, but poetic.”

“Look, feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help you, or help us,” Rise said. “Senpai told me all about when your memories came back, that it was when you remembered May...sorry, when you remembered  _ her _ .”

“Her name isn't a dirty word to me, if that's what you're worried about,” Taro said. He looked down at the table. “It'll never be a happy word again, but I'm not so fragile as I used to be.” He turned back to her. “Don't go walking on eggshells on my account.”

Rise nodded. “Anyway, to get me back he had to show me something that I gave him. It meant a lot to me when I gave it to him, and when I saw it, it was like a switch was flipped in my head. Everything came flooding back.”

Taro rested his head in his hands. “So, strong memories can beat the memory loss?”

“Maybe,” Souji said. “We can't jump to conclusions yet, though. I tried...” He stopped himself, and shook his head. “Doesn't matter. The easiest answer isn't always the right one. We need to look deeper into this.”

“How?” Taro said. “Go up to everyone and try to jog their memories? Could take a long time, even in a town as small as Inaba.”

Rise's mouth fell open. “Of course, yeah, that's what we need to do. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.”

“What?” Taro asked. “I wasn't being serious.”

“No, not what you said,” Rise said. “The Shadow World. The last time, that's where all the answers really were. The only way we were able to figure everything out was by going into the Shadow World.”

Souji had been thinking the exact same thing. He nodded. “Then that's where we need to go next.”


	7. Clarity In Reverse

It had already started raining by the time they reached Junes, and they were soaked. Once they were inside the entry foyer Rise rubbed her arms and whined, “Oooh, I'm all wet and cold!” She stomped her feet, making ripping and slapping sounds with her sandals on the tiled floor that competed for airtime with the rumbling thunder. “My shoes are all messed up. I'm gonna get some new ones before we go in.”

Taro pulled his hat down over his eyes and said, “Are you sure it's a good idea to do this in a public place? Won't we be drawing attention to ourselves, jumping into a TV?”

“We did it for most of a year without anybody catching on,” Rise said, wiping her glasses on her sleeve.

“Just hope we don't run into Yosuke or Teddie,” Souji said, patting down his face with the front of his shirt. “Last time I was here – well, you know.”

“Why don't you put this on?” Rise said. She pulled a flattened bit of fabric out of a pocket and handed it to him. He unfolded it to see it was a small knit cap. “Nobody'll know it's you.”

“Are you serious?” he asked. He examined it and found a stray blond hair stuck in it. “What were you doing with this?”

“To protect my hair, of course,” Rise said, putting her hands to her hips. “Relax, I always keep my hair clean.” She ripped it out of his hands and stretched it over his head, tucking his hair into it as best she could. “There ya go.”

Souji ran his hand over it. It felt lumpy and it plastered his soaked hair against his scalp. He looked between Taro and Rise. “It feels weird.”

Rise put her hand to her mouth. “You – you look...”

“Fine,” Taro said, snorting as he tried not to laugh. “Nobody'll know it's you, that's for sure.”

Souji turned around to view his reflection in the store window. The cap looked even lumpier than it felt, and despite Rise's attempts his hair still stuck out at various places. He looked and felt more like a street bum than a college student. He yanked off the cap, throwing his hair around in wet, matted strands. “Thanks, but I'll take my chances.” He stuffed it into his back pocket. “Let's just go.”

They entered the store, a chill washing over all three of them as the air conditioning blew across their wet skin. “Hi, and welcome to your Junes, where every day's great,” the greeter said. “Anything I can help you find?”

“Thanks, we're just looking,” Rise said, clutching her arms tightly to herself. Taro and Souji kept their faces turned away, doing their best to avoid being recognized as they all walked past.

“You know,” Taro said when they were clear of the greeter, “I don't come here often. Every time I do they have security following me the whole time.”

“Well, you walk around in here looking like Secret Agent Man, sure they're gonna follow you,” Rise said.

“It'll probably be the same with me,” Souji said. “Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.”

“Then why did we come here?” Taro said.

“Know anywhere else with a TV big enough for us all to fit through?” Souji said.

“Depends,” Taro said. “Does it have to work?”

“The one you used on me wasn't plugged in,” Rise said. “The one in your truck.” Taro stopped and she nearly bumped into him. “Hey, um...”

“I mean, does it have to work when it's plugged in,” Taro said, his voice flat. He turned away from her and frowned.

“I don't know,” Souji said, shooting Rise a look. She shrugged.

“Never mind,” Taro said. He started walking again.

Souji started to follow, but Rise grabbed his sleeve. As he turned back she leaned close to him. “Is he going to be like that all the time?” she whispered.

“I don't know,” Souji said. He actually thought she had been insensitive in bringing up his past actions as she did, but decided not to say so. More than needing to be right, he needed at least a little harmony on this team. So far they weren't doing very well.

“Well...” Rise started, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She distrusted Taro, as much as she knew he wasn't a bad person. Even though she didn't actually remember being kidnapped, her imagination had managed to fill in the gaps over the years both in waking and in her dreams. Despite the fact that she knew that Adachi had been the villain, it was Taro's face that was always the one she saw when her subconscious replayed the attack. It was his face, contorted with rage or desire, that she saw emerge from the shadows as she could only watch helplessly, unable to run, unable to hide.

“C'mon,” Souji said. “We need to go.”

“I'll meet you there,” Rise said. “I'm gonna get some new shoes.” She ran off, her clacking sandals raising a ruckus over the din of chatting shoppers and blaring advertisements. Souji started walking quickly away, hoping the attention Rise was drawing to herself would keep it off him and Taro.

He caught up to Taro, walking beside him. Taro didn't even look at him. “You okay?” Souji asked.

“Fine,” Taro said.

“No you're...”

“I'm fine, stop asking.” They continued on without a further word. Souji made a point of staying aware of their surroundings, to see if anyone was paying them particular attention. He was sure they weren't, but he couldn't help but feel a little paranoid. The past several days had been enough to make him believe that there was at least someone out to get him.

Several aisles behind, Nanako was following. Her clothes were completely waterlogged, making them even heavier than usual, but the rain had relieved her dehydration a little. It was her sense of purpose that was driving her, giving her the strength to continue following these two. Her sense of purpose, and now more than ever, her hatred.

Now she knew Souji was hanging around with Taro Namatame. From her vantage point in the bushes at Hill Park, she'd seen him approach Souji and his nerdy girl and immediately felt her blood boil. Had she not repeatedly told herself that then wasn't the time, she likely would have gone after them all then. First Souji, then Namatame. She would have let the girl go.

The more she had followed them, though, the more her anger had risen. She had no idea what they were doing at Junes of all places, but as they continued on she could feel more and more that this was the place where she would stop them. It was eerily appropriate that it would happen at her favorite place in town.

_ Yes, here _ , she thought.  _ Wait until they're all together. _

_ What? _ she thought, pausing for a second.  _ All of them? _

_ Yes, all of them. The girl too. She's his ally. Whatever he's doing, she's part of it. _

She had kept following them though her internal conflict, but her pace slowed a little.  _ Should...should I? _

_ Yes _ , she thought.  _ I should. _

Her resolve grew with that decision. She picked up the pace a little, keeping them in sight and only slowing when Souji glanced back in her direction and she needed to duck out of sight.

Souji could have sworn he saw something when he looked back. A flash of black moving down an aisle a little too quickly. He lingered for a moment, but then turned forward again.  _ I _ am  _ getting paranoid _ , he thought.

The store hadn't changed much in several years; the electronics department was still in the same place on the first floor. Within another minute they were there. There was still a display of large-screen TVs, arranged differently than it had been before, though this time there were more shoppers wandering about than he ever remembered. Taro glanced around. “Where's Rise-san?”

“Went to get some shoes,” Souji said.

Taro rolled her eyes. “Please tell me this isn't how you guys did things seven years ago.”

“Please,” Souji said, “just no fighting right now, okay?”

“Who's fighting?” Taro said. He sighed. “I'm just not so sure about this.”

“Neither was I the first time I went in,” Souji said. “To be honest, if I knew what was coming that year after we made our first trip into the TV, I don't know if I would have done it.”

“I think you would have,” Taro said. He turned to Souji. “You're not the kind of person to let your fears stop you from doing what you have to, I think.” He tilted his head. “You stood up to your friends to save my ass, when you could've just thrown me into the TV and been done with me.”

“Wouldn't have been right. You weren't a murderer.”

“Well, thanks anyway,” Taro said. He sighed. “You're a good guy.”

“Hey, sorry that took so long.” They turned to see Rise approaching. “You like?” She modeled her new white sneakers, flexing them and pointing her toes as if she were trying to sell them.

“What'd you do with your old ones?” Souji asked.

“Threw 'em out,” Rise said, shrugging. “Told you they were ruined. They cost me like a thousand when I bought them. Figured a librarian wouldn't be wearing hundred-thousand yen shoes.”

“A librarian?” Taro asked.

“Uh, long story,” Souji said. He glanced around. “So how are we going to do this without anyone seeing? It's a little more crowded than it used to be.”

“Here's one way,” Rise said. She sauntered over to the courtesy phone and dialed a series of numbers. She held her hand over her mouth and turned away from them.

At that moment the public address system beeped. “ _ Attention Junes shoppers. For the next ten minutes we are offering 90% off everything in the Sporting Goods section on the second level. For the next ten minutes, 90% off everything in Sporting Goods. Hurry and take advantage now!” _

“Did you hear that?”

“Holy crap, c'mon!”

“I can get that deluxe fishing setup I've always wanted!”

Within ten seconds the electronics department was empty. Rise strutted back to Souji and Taro and winked. “Worked like a charm.”

Souji laughed. “How'd you know how to do that?”

“I saw Yosuke do it one time,” she said. “Memorized it, in case I needed it someday.”

“Huh, not bad,” Taro said. “We'd better hurry and get in there before they trace that call.”

“Yeah, I don't really want to go to jail for inciting a riot,” Rise said. “Bad for my image.” She stepped up to the nearest TV set, a 150cm model. “This one?”

“As good as any, I suppose,” Souji said. He touched a hand to it and the surface rippled. “Taro-kun, Rise-chan.” Taro and Rise both touched their hands to the screen, and it rippled at their touch as well. “Let's do it.” With one more glance around to ensure they weren't being watched, they pushed their way into the screen and were gone.

Despite their caution and Rise's ruse, they hadn't gone entirely unobserved. Nanako had seen everything. She had smirked when she saw Rise make the false call.  _ Not bad, Blondie _ , she thought.  _ Guess he knows how to pick 'em. _ Of course, thanks to her little stunt store security would probably arrive any minute. She wouldn't be able to confront them and finish things before they arrived, not if she didn't want rent-a-cops tasering her. She would just have to find a perch and stay on them, wait until the heat died down.

Then she saw them walk up to one of the TVs. She saw Souji put his hand on it, and for a moment could swear she was hallucinating. She could have sworn the screen rippled at his touch. Then she saw the other two do the same thing, their hands likewise causing the screen to ripple.  _ What the hell? _

And then they pushed through, all the way. They were gone. The screen waved in and out like the surface of a pond, but after a few seconds was still and smooth again. She stared at it for a long moment.  _ Holy shit _ , Nanako thought when the shock wore off.  _ I did  _ not  _ just see that. _

_ Yes you did _ , she told herself.  _ You saw them push their way into a TV set and disappear. _

She had seen this before, in her nightmares. But it was only a dream; it couldn't be real.  _ Those weren't just nightmares, _ she thought.  _ This happened before, and I saw it. _

_ It happened to me. That's how I was kidnapped. I was pushed through a TV, just like that. _

_ No. No, it can't be. _

_ My cousin is hanging around with the guy who kidnapped me, and they both have some kind of power that lets them go into a TV. Two plus two equals four. Not only is this “cousin” of mine hanging out with the guy who kidnapped me, but he's also – what? _

_ A demon, _ came the answer.  _ He's in league with a demon. Just like Namatame. You know what you have to do. _

_ But...I don't... _

_ Do it, _ the voice ordered.

Her feet started moving without her consent, carrying her to the same TV they had disappeared through. She touched the screen.

It was solid. She tried pressing on it. It gave way a little, but nothing like it had for them. “Dammit,” she said. She'd have to wait until they came back out. She crossed her arms and started pacing. Her anger was seething, simmering to a boil. The longer it boiled, the more violently it did so.

_ I'll have to stop them somehow. _

_ I already have the means with me. _

She placed a hand behind her back and felt the hilt of the knife.  _ But, do I really have to use this? _

_ Disappear, _ she thought.

She heard the shouting voices coming her way.  _ And that would be Security, _ she thought. She ducked behind one of the displays as two men in red polo shirts ran in, followed closely behind by a younger man in a gray shirt.

The gray-shirted man said, “That phone there,” pointing to the phone Blondie had used. He scanned the department up and down. “Hey, excuse me,” he said heading to the other end. The two red shirts followed. She saw them speaking with a couple at the video game display.

Nanako slipped out from behind the display and out the archway into the main area of the store. She moved quickly, though, trying to stay as nonchalant as possible while heaving her water-heavy pants legs with each step. She wasn't concentrating on where she was going, but rather dwelling on the thoughts that had been interrupted when she had to flee the electronics department.

_Do I really have to hurt_ _him? Hurt them all?_

_ Yes. He invaded your life, to bring all kinds of evil to it. He's in league with the man that kidnapped you and tried to kill you. That alone should be enough. But look at what they did. They went into the world on the other side of the TV screen. You remember that, don't you? The other world? The one Namatame took you into, to try to kill you? Souji's going to finish the work that Namatame started when you were only seven. When you were only seven. You were too little to defend yourself. You were only seven. _

She didn't really remember those events, but the description of them felt right somehow.  _ I was only seven. _

_ You were only seven. He took advantage of you. He hurt you. He almost killed you. You almost died because of him. Almost died. Because of him. _

_ Almost died....because of him?  _ She wasn't even sure which “him” she was thinking of anymore. A little bit of her wasn't even sure everything she was thinking was entirely her. But as she kept talking to herself, she could feel it, the anger boiling over, the righteous anger she'd held in so long for her dad's sake. But no more. She couldn't hold it in. She dared not. She couldn't hesitate even for a second. If they were smart, they'd stay where they were until the heat died down. They'd come out eventually, she knew that much even though she didn't know how she knew it.

When they came out, she'd do what she had to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji had expected the floor to be at least a few meters from the entry point, as it had been every time he'd entered before. He didn't expect that it would be literally in his face.

He just barely managed to bring his hands up and keep from smashing his nose into the hard tile, grunting as he struck the ground. Taro and Rise did the same. “Ow!” Rise exclaimed. “I don't remember it hurting that much!”

Souji pushed himself up, grimacing at the pain in his hands, and examined their surroundings. For a moment he wondered if they had just been ejected back out of the TV. Then he noticed the total absence of color. It was the electronics department of Junes, except that it was completely devoid of color.

“Is this – the Shadow World?” Taro asked, pushing himself to his feet. “It feels right...but it's not familiar.”

“It's not the Shadow World we know,” Souji said. “Neither of them.” At first he thought it was identical to the room they'd just left, but now he wasn't sure. Something was off about it.

“Look,” Rise said, pointing to a poster on the wall. “The writing's backward.”

Souji looked around again, and finally understood. “This room's the reverse of the one on our side.”

“Why? How?” Taro asked. “I remember the Shadow World, and none of it was like this.”

“It's whatever people want it to be,” Rise said. “All the areas of the Shadow World we were in at first were created by people's minds, the world giving them what the deep, dark parts of them wanted. And then later it was from people wanting peace and happiness.”

“So who wanted  _ this _ ?” Souji asked.

Taro noticed movement to the right and glanced that direction. “Hey, there's something over there.” He headed toward it.

“Wait,” Rise said, “don't go off on your own!” She and Souji followed until they could see what Taro had seen. There were swarms of some kind of insect clustered in one area. While the insects were swirling about within their swarms, the swarms themselves were relatively stationary.

“What are those?” Souji asked.

“Gnats?” Taro said. He stepped up close to one of the swarms. It immediately started moving toward him and he jumped to the side. It went past him, followed by two of the others.

“Can you scan them, Rise-chan?” Souji asked.

“I – I don't know,” Rise said. “I mean, I haven't used my Persona in six years. I don't even know if I know how anymore.”

“It's a part of you,” Souji said. “It's always with you.”

“Maybe,” Rise said, looking up at the ceiling, “but even if I can, I don't think I can do it in here. Kanzeon's too tall for this room.”

“Okay, let's go where there's more room.” They all left the reversed electronics department for Junes' central section, a two-story tall area to which was connected all the different departments within the store. They dodged other swarms and maneuvered their way into the Service Desk, which was almost directly in the center of the store. There were two swarms there, each hovering around one of the semicircular desks.

“Okay, here goes...” Rise said. “Persona!”

Nothing happened. Rise squeezed her eyes shut and drew a deep breath. “C'mon, Kanzeon, I know you're in there. Persona!”

Still nothing. “Dammit!” Rise shouted, stomping her foot. “Why can't I do it?”

“Just calm down,” Souji said, stepping close to her. She looked up at him. “Take a deep breath. Clear your head, and look for her there. Close your eyes.” Rise did as he said and he placed a hand on her shoulder. No sooner did he make contact than a blue aura appeared around her. Souji stepped back just as Kanzeon appeared over her, covering her eyes with a wide ring that had squarish protrusions sticking up on either side.

“I did it!” Rise squealed. “Okay, now let's see... Wow, this is different. Gimme a minute to sort this all out.”

Seeing this reminded Souji that he hadn't checked to see if he still had any of his own Personas with him. As a matter of fact, he hadn't checked in years. He started to look into himself to take stock, but heard a voice behind him that gave him a start. “Is that...a Persona?”

Souji turned to Taro. “Yes, it is.”

Taro was staring up at the robed woman with the tripartite satellite dish for a face. “And you have one of those too?”

“Kind of,” Souji said. “Actually, I have several.”

“Several? But didn't you tell me those things come from people's hidden side?” Taro tilted his head. “How much of you is hidden?”

Souji shook his head. “It's not quite like that with me. Remember how Izanami gave me my power to go into the TV? That was what unlocked my power to summon Personas.”

“So...do you think I can do the same thing?” Taro said.

“Maybe,” Souji said. “Maybe it's just waiting for the right time to come out.”

“Oh my God,” Rise said. They both turned to her. “These things, they're not just bugs. They're people!”

“What?” Souji said.

“It's real fuzzy. I'm having a hard time focusing, but these bug things are hovering around people's heads.”

“Why can't we see the people?” Taro asked.

“I don't know, but they're here,” Rise said. “Oh wow, what's that?”

“What?” Souji asked.

“I don't know,” Rise said. “There was a flash of something to the northwest. It's gone now.”

“Do you know about where it was?” Taro said.

“Um, I think it...hang on...damn, I'm all turned around. It looks like the Shopping District.”

“The Shopping district is east of here,” Souji observed.

“But this world is the reverse of our own,” Taro said, pointing to all the signage which appeared to have been mirrored along the vertical. “So east is west, west east.”

“Yeah,” Rise said, her voice quiet. She dismissed Kanzeon, who vanished in a flash of white. “We should go see what that was.”

“Is it safe?” Taro asked.

“What's safe?” Souji said. “We're in a different world that we already know plays by different rules than our own. Somebody's got to find out what's going on.”

“Yeah, don't be chicken,” Rise said. “Senpai, me, and our friends did this dozens of times before. We came and got  _ you _ , didn't we?”

Taro scowled at her, and Souji closed his eyes an sighed. “Let's go,” he said. “It'll be okay.” He took a moment to reorient himself, and then led them toward the main entrance, praying his companions would both keep their mouths shut for at least a few minutes.

The air outside the main entrance seemed grainy, and the ground was undulating. It took Souji a moment to realize that it was the rain, portrayed in black and white. “Hold on a sec,” he said to Taro and Rise. He stepped out the door into the rain, and off the curb into the partially-flooded parking lot. It wasn't making him any wetter, and his footsteps didn't make any splashes. In fact, aside from the chill of the air, he had no sensation that he had even stepped outside.

“Look out!” Taro said, grabbing Souji's arm and pulling him back onto the curb, just in time for a car to cross over where he'd just been standing. Phantom water splashed up on them, passing through their legs.

“Holy shit,” Souji said. “Thanks, shoulda been paying more attention.” Other cars were moving about the lot, and as he looked through their windows he could see more swarms hovering over the seats, as few as one to as many as five per car.

They dodged more automobiles as they made their way to the street, observing more swarms as they went. “Why is this world like this?” Taro asked. “It seems...well, less dangerous than before.” He gave Souji a wry smile. “Cars notwithstanding.”

“Actually, the one we got used to was a lot nicer than this. After we defeated Izanami it changed, became like a paradise.” Souji looked up. The sky was completely overcast, though its grayness didn't appear much different than the grayness of they sky in the real world. He then noticed that the air had cleared and was less grainy. “I think the rain's letting up.” Indeed, he saw that more swarms were beginning to emerge from the buildings.

There was a flash of light behind Souji and Taro and they turned around. Rise had summoned Kanzeon again and was scanning again. “Yeah, these are definitely people in the real world. They're walking around, doing whatever they're doing, and they're completely oblivious to these things flying around their heads.”

“So this is...” Souji started.

“Oh my God,” Rise interrupted. “It's Chie!” She pointed up the street and they turned in that direction. There was a thick mass of the insects, denser by far than any of the other swarms, so dense it was practically a mass of black. It was flying in their direction.

“Is  _ that _ her?” Souji said, pointing at the swarm.

“Yes,” Rise said. They all watched the swarm as it floated toward them. They stepped aside as it neared, but then it stopped right in front of them and lingered.

“What's going on?” Taro asked.

“I don't know,” Rise said. “She's looking around at...Senpai, she's staring right at you.”

Souji watched the swarm as it inched toward him. Too close for comfort. He stepped aside, and the swarm moved into the space he had occupied moments before. After another moment it continued its “walk” down the road.

“I think she detected you,” Rise said. “How, though?”

“Chie's one of our friends,” Souji explained to Taro. “She  _ was _ , anyway, until all this happened. She's got powers like ours.”

“So maybe she's got some kind of connection to this world that let her feel your presence,” Taro said. “If this is really a reflection of the real world.”

“Maybe,” Souji said.

“But she had a lot of those insect things around her head, more than anyone else we've seen. Could those things – do you think they're what's blocking everyone's memories?” Rise asked.

It made sense. If the whole purpose of the strange phenomenon engulfing Inaba was to make people forget Souji, and if these insects were directly related to it, they would be the most active around those who knew Souji the best. It was only a theory, but it fit the few facts they had.

“So what are they?” Taro asked.

“Memory Flies?” Rise suggested.

“Maybe,” Souji said again.

“So what do we do about them?” Rise asked.

“We keep going,” Souji said. “Not much else we  _ can _ do right now. Hopefully whatever it was you saw at the Shopping District'll point us in the right direction.”

The entire world, at least what they had observed so far, truly was laid out in reverse of the real Inaba, so it took a moment for them to get their bearings. After a few false starts, they finally made their way to the Shopping District, dodging automobiles and swarms as they went.

As they reached the South Shopping District Taro stopped. “What's that?” he asked.

“What's what?” Rise asked.

“Do you guys see that?” Taro said.

Souji could see Taro was pointing to a shimmering blue object, the only thing besides them with any color, fluttering about in front of him. As he focused on it he could see that it was a butterfly. “I've seen that before,” Souji said. Indeed he'd seen it many times before, usually out of the corner of his eye, but it had always been with him when he lived in Inaba. It seemed to be around most often after he had spent time in the Shadow World, or in the Velvet Room. He had eventually come to assume it was related to his powers, and had given up questioning its presence.

“What? See what?” Rise asked. She summoned Kanzeon and scanned directly at them. “Guys, there's nothing there.” The butterfly started flying away from them, and Souji and Taro followed. “Hey, wait up!” she said, dismissing Kanzeon and sprinting to catch up.

The butterfly meandered its way through the air until it reached an empty spot between shops. Once it stopped it flashed bright white, so brilliant that Souji and Taro had to shield their eyes.

Rise saw them do this, but could still see nothing. “Guys, what's going on?”

The glow died down, and when it was gone and they pulled their arms away they could both see a rectangular blue glyph, standing straight up on the sidewalk. Souji recognized it immediately as an entrance to the Velvet Room. “Taro-kun, you can see that, can't you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Taro said, staring at it. “Souji-kun, do you know what just happened?”

“No,” Souji said, “but I know what  _ that _ is.”

Rise summoned Kanzeon again. “I still don't detect anything,” she said. “Are you gonna talk to me or what?”

Souji turned back to her. “Rise-chan, sorry, we're not ignoring you. We'll be back in a few minutes.” He turned to Taro. “Come on.” They walked over to it. Souji touched the door, and there was a creaking sound and a flash of light.

He was inside the Velvet Room, the same one he'd seen in his dream, complete with Igor seated underneath the chandelier, glaring at him with his bloodshot eyes and grinning evilly. Igor nodded to Souji's's right.

“Oh my God,” Taro said. “What is this?”

“This is the Velvet Room.”

Taro snapped his gaze to Igor. “Who...? What?”

Souji said, “Taro-kun, meet Igor.” He glanced around the room and was disappointed to see that Margaret was still absent.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Igor said. “We have been waiting for you, Taro Namatame.”

“But – what is this?” Taro asked.

“The Velvet Room is a place between worlds,” Igor said. “It is a place of great learning, where you may discover secrets about yourself that you never knew existed.”

“Secrets,” Taro said, stroking his chin. “There's a lot I still don't understand.”

“We cannot directly intervene in mortal affairs,” Igor said, “but I can give you this.” He held up a card, its face toward Taro. Igor withdrew his hand and it continued floating in the air before him. “Take it.”

Taro walked up to him and took the card. On its face was a woman, skin white from head to toe, with bamboo fans in each hand, another strapped to her chest, and one covering her eyes. She appeared to be leaping as if in a dance.

“Ame-No-Uzume,” Taro said. But where had he gotten that name from?

“Yes, that's correct,” Igor said. “You are blessed by the Fool Arcana. The wild card. Ame-No-Uzume is only the first, but you must welcome her into your heart. When you do, you will have clarity.”

“Welcome her into my heart,” Taro said. He held the card out in front of him for a moment, and then pressed it to his chest. He gasped as the card disappeared, filling him with a warmth of the like he'd never felt before.

In a flash of white light, the woman from the card appeared before him. She swayed her arms and the fans in her dance to music he couldn't hear. “I am Ame-No-Uzume. Let us celebrate in your new dawn.” She melted into a sphere of light and disappeared into Taro's chest.

Taro drew in a deep breath. It all came back to him, like a piece of himself that he'd been missing had been reattached. For the first time he felt confident, like he was part of the world again. It felt like he had Mayumi with him again.

“Souji-kun,” Taro said. He turned to Souji. “I – I feel...clear! Like everything's got meaning somehow. Is this how you felt when you...?”

Souji gave a supportive smile. “Kind of, yeah,” he said

“All this – if only I'd known. I – I could've done so much good.” He sighed. “I never truly thanked you for what you did for me. For what you all did, especially if I'd just...” He looked down at his hands, which no longer appeared to be frail and stained with old blood but strong and capable. He flexed his fingers, as if testing them. “I wish I'd been strong enough to come with you back then. I could've done so much.”

“So now your heart has been opened,” Igor said, his evil-looking grin widening. “That is good. You will need it in order to find the cause behind this new mystery. For now, though, we must part.”

“Yeah,” Taro said. “I think we've got a job to do.”

Souji took that moment to finally look into himself and take stock of his Personas. He closed his eyes and searched deep into his soul. Metatron. Sandalphon. Trumpeter. Zaou-Gongen, Scathach, Ishtar, and of course, Izanagi-no-Okami. These were the ones that had helped him survive the battle with Izanami. He had spent the six years hence living with them in his heart, not once giving thought to them. Could they have been the reason he didn't lose his memories upon arriving in Inaba?

“Hey, you okay?” Taro said, tapping him on the shoulder.

Souji opened his eyes. “Yeah, I'm fine.”

“Your guardians are still with you, Souji Seta,” Igor said, “and they always will be, for as long as you want them.”

Souji wasn't surprised Igor knew exactly what was on his mind. “I never really was alone, even when I thought I was,” he said. “You were right, someone was always with me.” He smiled and turned to Taro. “C'mon, we'll be back.” They turned to the glowing blue door behind them. They reached out and touched it.

In a flash of light they were back in the reversed black and white copy of the Shopping District.

“Wait, where are you going?” Rise said.

“What?” Taro asked. Compared to the dim light of the Velvet Room, this world was bright despite its grayness. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust.

“What do you mean 'what'? You said you'd be back, but where are you going?” She stormed up to Souji and grabbed his shirt with both hands. “You're not leaving me behind here, Souji!”

Souji was taken aback by her outburst. “Sorry,” he said, placing his hands on hers. “We're not going anywhere. It was, uh, nothing.” He flashed a look to Taro.

“Um, okay,” Rise said. She put her hands to her hips but did not back off. “You know I'm not gonna believe you, right? You said, 'You see it too.' So you both saw something, and you've been staring at it for like a minute.”

Taro turned to Souji. “Wait, you never told them?”

“It never came up,” Souji said. “I'm sorry, Rise-chan, I just...it's kind of complicated. I'll tell you about it once we're out of here.”

Rise narrowed her eyes at him, and glanced between him and Taro. “You better,” she said, stabbing a finger into his chest. “I didn't get all my memories back just for you to leave me in the dark!” She spun away, scowling. Then, in a calmer voice and with her head hanging, she said, “Just, no more secrets. Okay? We're a team, and I want to be a part of it all the way.”

Souji opened his mouth to reply with some platitude, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He suddenly felt very badly for treating her like a fifth wheel. She'd come all this way to see him, had returned from a mental oblivion for him. She deserved everything. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You're right, I need to stop keeping secrets from you. I owe you more than that. A lot more, actually.” He crossed his arms and sighed.

Rise turned around and looked up, seeing the guilt in his face. It made her own anger melt away. “Senpai...”

“You deserve to know,” Souji said. “Everything.” He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.  _ This is going to be tough to explain. _ “I guess it all started the first day I was in Inaba. You know about Izanami, disguised as the gas station attendant, right? Well, around the time that happened when I was asleep I had a dream that I was in this place called the Velvet Room...”

He described in as much detail as he could about Igor, Margaret, and the Velvet Room. He revealed all that Igor had told him, everything about his Personas, about how he had managed to gain powers beyond those anyone else held. Rise listened, and to his surprise not once did he see her flash anger or resentment.

“And that's where we were just now,” he finished. He pointed to the blue door. “I knew none of you could ever see the door, but there's one right there now. Taro-kun and I were in there for the past, I don't know, five minutes or so.”

There was a long pause after he finished. Souji wondered if her calm countenance was holding back some dreadful fury. “I know why you never told us,” Rise finally said, her voice quiet. “Even after all we saw, it might have been a little much to take.” She smiled, surprising Souji far more than another outburst would have. “I'm a big girl, though. I can take it. Agreed?”

He laughed. When she tilted her head he said, “Sorry, not laughing at you. I just – agreed.”

They both faced Taro. “Agreed,” Taro said. “If we're going to face – whatever this is, we have to be open with each other.” He took a deep breath. “That means there's something I have to say. Rise-san, I'm sorry for what I did to you. I know it was...just let me finish,” he said when Rise tried to interrupt. “I know it was wrong, no matter what I thought I was trying to do. I know there's nothing I can do to make it up to you, and I don't expect your forgiveness. But we're part of something big, and we have to be able to work together. You don't have to like me, you don't have to trust me. But I'd appreciate it if we could both be adults, and not antagonize each other. I know what I did, and I know it was bad, and I don't need to be reminded of it every few minutes. Okay?”

Rise stared at him. Her cheeks went hot, and she felt like she'd just been scolded.  _ I  _ was  _ just scolded _ , she thought. She'd spent too much time and energy growing up to be addressed like a schoolgirl again, especially by this man. “Okay. If we're going down that path, then you need to know this. I've never really gotten over what you did to me. I never stopped being mad at you. I don't know if I ever will.” She walked up to him. “You forced your way into my house, you knocked me out, and you threw me into a place where, if it hadn't been for Souji-senpai, I'd have died. I still have nightmares about that, even though I don't remember exactly what you did. I don't want to be mad at you because it's not your fault. But when Senpai told me you and he were working together, I was afraid. Afraid what I'd say, afraid of being near you.

“I don't trust you, Namatame-san. I don't think I ever will. But Souji-senpai trusts you, and that's good enough for me. So we'll work together, and I'm going to do the best I can to help you because I'm a good person, and despite how much I don't like you I think you are too, deep down. But if you want me to get all lovey-dovey and forgive you, I won't. We're just gonna go on, like adults, and that'll be that.”

Taro's eyes dropped to the floor. He shouldn't have been surprised by her effective rebuttal, but he had to admit he deserved what she'd said about as much as  _ she'd _ deserved what  _ he _ said. He nodded slowly. “I – don't blame you. And there's nothing I can say or do that will make up for what I did.” He looked back up. “But I can say that I'm a different man than I was then. I've had years to pay for what I did, not just in jail, but making myself pay.”

“Please, don't,” Rise said, raising a hand. “Don't explain. Don't try. You don't have to. I know why you did things, I know you're different now. You're not going to be able to talk me out of being angry because I can't do it myself. But I'm an adult, and I know what the stakes are in this. I know we need to work together, and we will. Please don't waste your breath trying to apologize, and I won't waste mine talking about this anymore. We may have to depend on each other for our lives, and we can do that even without liking each other. Okay?”

Taro watched her for a moment, as if expecting more of her outburst. Finally he nodded. “Thank you. Now that we've been honest with each other, maybe we can move on and do what we have to do, whatever that is.”

Rise simply nodding, doing her best to control the maelstrom of emotions she was feeling at that moment. “Agreed.”

Souji had watched this entire exchange, his anxiety rising. Rise turned to him and he practically jumped. “It's fine, Senpai. We've got an understanding.”

“That's right,” Taro said. “So now let's get moving.”

He didn't believe for a second that things were finished between them, but he hoped that, at least for now, they would make good on their promise to behave cordially with each other. He nodded, and then tilted his head in the direction they'd been heading. “We should move on, then.” The dry rain started again as they made their way through the northern Shopping District, the road curving to the right. There were a few more insect swarms, though most had retreated into buildings again, and none of them were as dense as the one that had surrounded Chie.

As they neared the Shrine they could see a green light emanating from it. It intensified the closer they got.

“What's that?” Taro asked.

Rise summoned Kanzeon and scanned the area. “I don't know,” she said. “There's definitely something there, though I don't know what. It's real faint.”

“It doesn't look faint,” Souji said.

“It could be a flood lamp,” Taro said, with an arched eyebrow and half-smirk.

“It's something,” Rise said, scowling. “More than a  _ light bulb _ , Taro-san.”

_ I thought we were all going to be adults, _ Souji thought. “Well, there's one way to find out.” They continued toward the Shrine, Souji leading slightly ahead of the others. The light eventually became so bright that they all had to shield their eyes.

“That still look weak?” Taro said.

“Nope,” Rise said. She wasn't sure she liked this new Namatame. If he didn't start keeping his snide comments to himself, she was going to have to slap him, adult understanding or not. He hadn't earned the right to be sarcastic with her. For now, though, she bit her tongue and kept her irritation to herself. She summoned Kanzeon once again. “I still can't detect what it is, though. Like I'm looking for a minnow in the whole ocean.”

Souji hadn't heard much of what they said. Voices in his head had drowned out all other sound. They were singing, but he couldn't understand the words. It was soothing, though, and it somehow made the light from the shrine seem less intense. He dropped his arm and took another step into the Shrine. “Hey, wait,” Taro said.

Souji only heard the chanting in his head. The light was like a sunny day. The closer he got, the warmer he felt inside. It felt right somehow. If he just got a little closer, to the center of it, everything would be answered.

Rise screamed, cutting through the chanting in his head and returning him to reality. He spun around to see Rise surrounded with multiple swarms of what she'd called Memory Flies. She was swatting at them in vain as more flew in and overtook her, lifting her off the ground. “Senpai! Help me!” Within seconds she was completely engulfed in a mass of black that muffled her screams.

Souji opened his hand and a card appeared in his palm. “Scathach, help her!” Scathach emerged from his body and spread her hands. A burst of wind erupted from the ground and struck the cloud of Memory Flies. They spread away from her for a second, long enough for her wordless screams to be heard, but then quickly engulfed her again, blocking her cries.

“No!” Taro shouted, pushing Souji aside. “You're hurting  _ her _ , not the bugs! I – I have to...” He ran toward her and shouted, “Persona!” A bright white aura formed around him, and his Persona, Ame-No-Uzume, flew out of his body. “Hang on, Rise-san!” Ame-No-Uzume shot toward the mass, and passed through it, and through Rise. The insects appeared to be swept up in his Persona's wake and flew away with it. Rise spun in the air for a few seconds before falling to the ground.

Souji was at her side almost instantaneously, lifting her into his lap as he knelt on the ground. “Rise-chan,” Souji said. He placed a hand on her cheek. “Rise, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Please tell me I didn't hurt you.”

Her eyes fluttered open. She gazed up at Souji, and then into the sky. “Wha?”

“Rise-chan,” Souji said. “Can you hear me?”

She looked in his eyes dully, not really focusing on him. There was no recognition in her eyes, and she barely seemed conscious. “Who? Who're you?” Her words were slurred and her jaw slack.

Souji drew in a shallow breath. “No, Rise, please. Don't do this. Fight it, whatever it is. Please don't...don't...”  _ Don't make me lose you again. _

Taro guided his Persona as far as he could into they sky before finally dismissing it. The mass of Memory Flies chasing it dispersed shortly afterward, but tiny points of light descended and collected in his open hand until they formed a small sphere made purely of light. He examined it for a second, but Souji interrupted him. “Taro-kun.”

Taro turned to Rise and Souji and knelt beside them. “Are you okay, Rise-san?”

“Who?” Rise asked. “I dunno...wha's hap'nin...”

Taro swiped his free hand against his forehead, but then he noticed that Rise's eyes were following his other hand, the one holding the light essence that had descended from the sky. He stared at it for a moment, and then brought it to Rise's face. The ball split into tiny pieces and flew out of his palm and into her eyes. Her eyes widened and began to glow bright blue, and when the sphere was gone she squeezed them shut.

Souji turned to Taro. “You...how did you do that?”

“I – I don't know,” Taro said. “I just...did. You can't?”

“S-Senpai?”

They both looked down at her. She was staring straight into Souji's eyes. “Rise-chan?” Souji said. “Are you okay?”

She blinked a few times. “I – I think so,” she said. “I think...I'm okay now.” Souji drew her into an embrace, which she returned a bit weakly. After a few seconds she started squeezing him tighter. “I was so scared. I – I lost you again. I lost...everything. I was so scared, Senpai.”

“It's okay, you're okay now,” Souji said. He felt tears start to burn his eyes, and did his best to hold them in. He didn't know if he could have lived with losing her again so soon after getting her back.

After a moment Rise loosened her grip on Souji enough so she could face Taro. “Namatame-san, thank you.”

Taro bowed his head. “I guess those things do eat memories,” he said. He looked up at the swarms floating lazily up and down the street. “But why did they attack? And why you, not all of us?”

As if answering his question there was a sudden, loud buzzing like thousands of cicadas on a midsummer afternoon. They looked up to see another giant swarm of Memory Flies speeding out of the sky toward them. Or maybe it was the same one Taro had driven from Rise, there was no way to tell for sure.

Souji summoned Scathach and cast Magarudyne. Several whirlwinds shot toward the Memory Flies but the swarm split down the middle, each half striking the ground around them. The Memory Flies started spinning around them, forming a ring that spread into a dome, covering them completely and blocking all light.

“I had to ask,” Taro said, gritting his teeth and jumping to his feet. He held up his hand, which emitted enough light for them to be able to see inside the darkness. The Memory Flies were tiny, even at this short distance, so much so that they looked more like crude oil flowing over top of them.

“No! No, not again!” Rise said, trying to push herself up. Her elbows gave out and she fell back into Souji's lap.

“Lie still for a bit,” Souji said. He slipped off his jacket and rolled it up, and then laid Rise on the ground, using the jacket as a pillow. As he stood he realized he had no weapon. “Taro-kun, do you have anything you can use as a weapon?”

“My fists,” Taro said, scanning the seemingly-impenetrable dome of Memory Flies. “Where exactly am I supposed to hit it?”

Souji felt very naked without his katana, and very foolish. He had given it to his uncle as a gift the day he moved away, as it wasn't the kind of thing he could bring with him on any sort of public transportation. It had been hard enough hiding the thing underneath his school uniform just when walking down the street. Of course, he could rely entirely on his Personas, though he had to be careful not to wear himself out completely. As much power as they gave him, they also had a tendency to draw so much of his physical and mental strength that, after enough time battling he felt practically incapable of gathering the focus to even call them. That was how it was years ago, when he was still in practice. Now, however...

“Look out!” Taro shouted. The dome was breaking, letting in the dull gray light again, the insects organizing themselves into large clumps. Some of them appeared to grow appendages and take swipes at the three of them as they spun around. They were becoming much like the Shadows he'd fought years before, but seemed more fluid, and felt more dangerous.

The masses stopped their revolutions and landed on the ground, forming black tentacles they used to suspend their “bodies”. One of them leapt at him, swiping with a clawed hand made up entirely of Memory Flies. He dodged the attack and immediately summoned Zaou-Gongen who struck the cluster with Vorpal Blade. The swarm split with each strike and was left in six separate pieces. Those sprouted their own tentacles and became six separate, distinct creatures. All six attacked Souji at once, but Zaou-Gongen absorbed most of the force from the blows.

“Don't use physical attacks!” Souji said. “No good! Try elementals!”

“I don't even know how!” Taro said, dodging a tentacle that attempted to spear his chest. “How did you figure it out?”

“I don't know, it just happened,” Souji said. “You did it a few minutes ago when you saved Rise!”

“I didn't think about it, I just did it!”

“Well think about it this time,” Souji said. “Call out her  _ name _ !”

“Okay,” Taro said. He took a deep breath and shouted, “ _ Mayumi _ !”

That wasn't the name Souji had meant, but it certainly had an effect. Ame-No-Uzume appeared and launched Maziola, spreading powerful lightning across the Memory Flies before Taro. They froze in place and started quivering. A few seconds later they split apart and dispersed.

“That's it!” Souji said. He cast Maragidyne, sending a wall of flame into the Memory Flies before him. The insects turned red, the clumps breaking back up into shapeless swarms. They swirled with increasing speed and started drifting upward, like embers around a fire. He followed up with a second casting of Maragidyne and the swarms dispersed completely, trailing smoke behind them.

The remaining Memory Flies dispersed, fleeing the scene before either Taro or Souji could attack again. Within seconds they were standing in the dimming green light from the reversed shrine, the air clear with not a swarm in sight.

Rise let out a small cry of relief. “They're gone,” she said. She started pushing herself up from the ground, and Souji and Taro helped her to her feet. “That was...frightening,” she said, looking upward. “I think – those things might be worse than the Shadows ever were.” She staggered and Souji caught her arm.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, just tired,” she said, smiling at him and placing a hand on his. “I'll be okay, really.”

“We'd better go regroup,” Souji said. “Figure out what we're going to do about them. Or if we even  _ should _ .”

“Wait, what do you mean 'if we should'?” Taro said. He pointed fiercely at the sky. “We have to do  _ something _ about them. If these are the things blocking people's memories, we've got to figure out a way to get rid of them. And after what they tried to do to Rise-san, we  _ know _ how dangerous they are. We can't just let these things go do whatever it is they're doing.”

“Right,” Rise said. “We've gotta do something about them. We didn't save Inaba from the fog just to let these Memflies feed off everyone.”

“What? Memflies?” Taro said, turning to Rise.

She shrugged and smiled. “Easier to say than 'Memory Flies'.”

Souji looked at them both, and took a moment to think. Of course they had to stop these things. Where had his doubt come from? And what was it he felt when he started walking into the Shrine? He needed to get out of here and sort things out. And he wanted to get as far away from this green light as possible, before it started calling to him again. “You're right. We have to stop this. But we need a game plan. Let's get back to the real world for now, before something else happens.”

They headed back south through the Shopping District, finding the first dozen or so meters completely devoid of what they were now calling “Memflies”. Only after they'd passed the pharmacy did they finally see any. These swarms were traveling in groups, heading right toward the three of them, some on the sidewalk and some on the street.

“They're attacking!” Taro said, adjusting to a fighting stance.

“No, they're not,” Rise said. She didn't know how, but she knew their purpose. The connection seemed fleeting, but filled her with a sense of dread. “They're – worried. Afraid. I think they want to see what happened back there.”

“See what happened?” Souji said. “How can they be...?”

“If we're not gonna fight them we'd better move out of the way,” Taro said, ushering them both into the bushes between buildings. The swarms flew past them as if they hadn't even noticed the trio.

“They're attacking us one minute, and ignoring us the next,” Souji said, watching the insects as they continued up the street. “What's going on here?”

“I don't know,” Rise said, “but I've got a really bad feeling. Let's get back before something worse happens.”

They took the rest of the walk back to the reversed Junes rather quickly, Rise managing to keep up despite her fatigue. The further they got from the Shopping District things seemed as they were before, with swarms floating about, others in automobiles or buses that were traveling down the roads driverless, all of which ignored them. Reverse Junes itself was less crowded with swarms than before, so if they really were hovering around the heads of people in the real world, then the real Junes would be as well. They needed as little attention as possible when they stepped back through the TV into the real world.

They searched the electronics department. No swarms in sight. “Let's go before anyone shows up,” Souji said. He pressed his hand through first, and then stepped in, ducking under the screen's upper edge. Taro and Rise followed behind.

The first thing Souji noticed upon arrival was that it was much darker than before; the only light was from the wall-mounted emergency lights. Despite the relative darkness, though, it was nice to be back in a world with color.

Rise and Taro stepped out of the TV set behind him. “Whoa, kinda dark,” Rise said. “What happened?”

“Power must be out,” Taro said. “Maybe from the storm?”

Rise wasn't so sure. Her sickening sense of worry was only growing, not diminishing, even though they were back in the real world. Before she could say anything, though, a voice spoke to them from the archway.

“Well, isn't  _ this _ something?” They all turned to see Nanako, one hand at her waist and the other behind her back. She was glaring at Souji. “So not only are you hanging around with this kidnapper, you can go in and out of TVs. And you can even make the power go out, too, so nobody will be here when you escape. You really  _ are _ some kind of demon.”

“Nanako-chan...” Rise said.

“Oh, don't 'Nanako-chan' me, whoever you are,” Nanako spat. “You don't know me, so just shut your face!” Rise noticed she had something in the hand behind her back. She couldn't see what it was, but Nanako was twirling it almost nervously.

“Senpai...” Rise started.

“Nanako,” Souji said. “Please, let me explain.”

“I've heard enough of your bullshit,” Nanako said. Seeing them together made her burn inside, her rage becoming an inferno that only one thing could quench.  _ It's time _ , she thought.  _ Do it now. Now. Now. Now! NOW! _ She swung the knife out from behind her, slashing a few leaves off the potted plant next to her, and pointed the blade toward Taro. All three of the adults gasped. That gave her a great sense of satisfaction. The anticipation was starting to make her quiver. “You almost killed me six years ago, you piece of shit,” she said. “I oughta cut you just for that. I will. But you know what? That doesn't bother me as much as you, Souji Seta.” She pointed the knife at Souji. “From the moment I first met you, I knew you were up to something. I hated you then. I hate you now.”

“Nanako, this isn't you,” Souji said. “Please, listen.”

“I've listened. A lot. You're a pretty smooth talker. Talked your way through my dad.” Her head twitched. “M-maybe I oughta c-cut your tongue out first.”

Rise stepped forward, but Souji put his arm up to keep her back. “Nanako-chan,” she said, “you've got to stop! This isn't you! There's something affecting you, making you think these things. But it's not real!”

“So says the blond bimbo that buys his lunches. Oh yeah, I saw that. Been following you for a while.” Nanako smiled, the kind of smile that told Souji somebody else, not his Little Sis, was behind it. “I'm going to stop you right now. I'm going to kill you all.”


	8. The True Self

Nanako was flying toward Souji before anyone could even think, the knife's razor-sharp point at a direct line for his stomach. He instinctively side-stepped and thrust his arms out, trapping her wrist with both hands. He then yelped in pain and surprise as she drove her free fist into his ribs, his arms buckling just enough to allow her to bring the knife's edge to his cheek. He let go with one hand and slipped under her knife hand, the blade scraping his cheek as he tried to block her punches. She swung again, but he managed to deflect it while still holding tightly to her knife hand. At first he was trying to defend himself without hurting her, but the way this fight was going he had to concentrate nearly all his attention on keeping her from twisting out of his grip. He was surprised with just how strong and nimble she was, and wondered for a split second if he'd be able to stop her  _ without _ hurting her.

She brought her free hand up to snatch the knife, which gave Souji his opportunity. He caught that hand, pulling it hard away from the other one, locking them into a face-to-face grapple. She screamed. “You're hurting me! I'm just a girl!” Souji said nothing in reply, concentrating solely on keeping her arms separated. “Not so dumb, huh?” she said, and she quickly head-butted him in the chest, bringing her mouth up and baring her teeth. Before she could bite down he brought up his knee to her stomach, resisting his instinct to kick and instead pushing her away. He tried to keep her arms closer together, simultaneously keeping out of range of her head and having to keep the knife away from his flesh. They were practically dancing in a circle now, Nanako trying every possible way to turn around his grip so she could slip free. She hooked a foot around his and yanked back. Souji quickly shifted his weight to the other foot so the one Nanako kicked could dismiss her attempt to throw him off balance. He found himself having to constantly shift his center of gravity between his feet to keep upright. If she managed to topple him, he knew she would quickly embed the knife into his flesh. She was growling and grunting like a wild animal as Souji did his best to protect himself without harming her in the process.

Taro had been trying to inject himself into the fight and stop it, but their moves were so unpredictable that the knife had almost slashed him several times. He took advantage of a momentary slowdown in the circular dance to try once more to grab Nanako, but she glanced at him and immediately forced Souji to spin the other way, slashing the knife across the air a centimeter in front of Taro's nose.

“Taro-san, stay back!” Rise said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away. “He's trying not to hurt her. We can't distract him!”

“I can't do nothing!” Taro said, pulling a card from his pocket and holding it up in front of him. “Guys, forgive me. Persona!”

Nothing happened. “Personas don't work in the real world,” Rise said, yanking him back further. “We can't do anything without hurting them both.” They heard a woman's scream, and Rise saw that they had been seen, and a crowd was starting to form. That could either be very good or very bad. If the police came, they would at least be able to stop Nanako, but would they all end up in jail?

Nanako heard the cries and, gritting her teeth in exertion, smiled. “Guess we've...got more attention...than I wanted...”

Souji was doing his best to ignore the audience. He was more worried about the knife blade that Nanako was still trying to worm her way into him. He wished he'd taken more self-defense courses when he was younger; he probably could have ended this fight by now. As it was, while he didn't note any particular style to Nanako's fighting, she was so limber that it almost seemed she was double-jointed.

Nanako took an aggressive step forward with her right foot, putting the knife closer to his face and forcing him to step to his right. She took a second forceful step, forcing him to step again to the right, and she repeated, starting a rapid spin. Souji, already tired from their trip into the Shadow World before this fight had even begun, began to lose his focus. His head began to feel like it was full of water, and it was enough of a distraction for Nanako to break the knife hand free. In surprise Souji brought up his foot to Nanako's chest and pushed her away hard, the knife slicing his jeans and nicking his shin. As he fell backward, his balance gone, Nanako stumbled and smacked her head on the upper frame of one of the TVs. Her torso still had momentum and kept moving backward, and she fell through the screen, the only part of her still in the real world being her legs below the calf. She screamed, her voice echoing as it passed back through the screen.

“Nanako, no!” Souji cried, scrambling across the floor grabbing her ankles Taro dove down and tried to help, but Nanako started kicking, one foot connecting with Souji's jaw, knocking him into Taro. Both her feet then disappeared into the screen, leaving only twin ripples behind. “I won't let you do this to me again, you demon!” Her voice started fading quickly.

“Nanako!” Souji screamed, diving through the screen after her.

“Oh my God,” Taro said. He turned to Rise. “Come on, we have to help them!” He jumped through the screen.

“Nanako, we're coming!” Rise said as she leapt in after him.

A round blue figure peeked from around the corner, quivering. Minutes before, while walking through the stock room he felt them approaching, and somehow knew they would be coming out one of these TV sets. He'd stayed out of sight, eager to see these new people coming from his world. It was indeed the gray-haired man, as he'd hoped, but also a blond girl and an older man. He'd been about to step out and greet them when he heard that dark-haired girl threaten them. Afraid, he had stayed back and watched.

Now they had all gone into the Shadow World, not just the three who came out but the dark-haired girl too. So not only did the man know about the Shadow World, he could enter and leave it too. Were the ones with him Shadows like Teddie? But what about that other girl? She was the first one to go back into the TV. Was she a Shadow too?

And her name: Nanako.  _ I know that name _ , he thought.  _ Nanako-chan. Nana-chan? But how?  _ He heard their voices echoing through the screen, and though they were mostly unintelligible, he thought he heard one of them shout, “Nanako, no!”

_ I should go help _ , he thought. Even though he was scared, he knew someone was in danger. From what they'd been saying, he was pretty sure it was the gray-haired man. He reached up to touch the screen when he felt a hand on his arm.“Teddie, what happened?” His attention was pulled back to the present as Yosuke spun him around. “Did you see what happened?”

Before Teddie could even think of a reply, one woman said, “That guy was beating up on a girl!”

“The girl had a knife,” a man said.

“I thought it looked like the guy had the knife,” said another man.

“There were  _ four  _ of them,” the woman said.

“I think one of them was that Numanuma guy. You know, the kidnapper!”

“They went through that TV there, by the teddy bear guy!” said a child.

“Okay, okay, everyone, please calm down,” said one of the off-duty police officers who served as Junes' security guards. “Everyone please line up over here and I'll take your statements.”

As all the “witnesses” began shouting their testimonies at once, Yosuke returned his attention to Teddie. “Teddie, did you see anything?”

“Uh, n-no,” Teddie said. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Yosuke knew nothing of the Shadow World, and there was no way Teddie could even begin to explain it to him. He didn't really understand it that much himself.

“Did you see where they went?” Yosuke asked. “Did one of them have a knife, like they're saying?”

“I...I don't know!” Teddie said, pressing his hands to his head. “Stop yelling at me!” He scampered off toward a display of barcaloungers.

“Teddie...” Yosuke started. He then heard a very familiar voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we need you to please remain calm,” Chie said, approaching from the service desk. “If you aren't a witness we need you to please clear the area.”

“Chie,” Yosuke said, approaching her. He fought the urge to give her even a quick kiss, as he knew she didn't consider that appropriate when she was on duty. Any other time he wouldn't have cared. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard a call about a disturbance,” Chie said. “I...well, had to make sure you were okay. I thought it might've had something to do with...well, I'll explain later.” She looked into the Electronics department. “What happened?”

“A fight, I think,” Yosuke said. “I don't know, your buddy's taking statements now. Teddie, we've gotta talk...” He turned to see that Teddie was gone. “Teddie-kun? Where'd you go?”

“Was he a witness?” Chie asked.

“He was here when I got here,” Yosuke said. “The hell'd he go?” He went to the stock room door and stuck his head through. “Teddie?” When there was no reply he stepped back out. “Dammit.” He keyed his headset. “Hey, anyone see Teddie around?”

“ _ Not since lunch,” _ came one reply.

“ _ About ten minutes ago. Heading toward Electronics.” _

“Anyone else?” he asked. There were no more replies. He sighed and turned to Chie. “He was here. He says he didn't see anything, though he seemed kinda shook up.”

“Don't worry,” Chie said, “we'll catch up with him later. Looks like we've got enough witnesses for now. C'mon, I need to secure this area until we know what happened.” She led him out of the room. “Did you see anything?”

“Nope,” Yosuke said. “Heard someone scream and I came running. Figured someone was freaking out about the power. Hey, speaking of that, what happened? There was a boom when the lights went out. Spooked a lot of folks.”

“Transformer explosion,” Chie said. “By Tatsuhime Shrine. Probably got struck by lightning. That's where I was headed when I got this call.”

“Kinda loud if it was that far away,” Yosuke said. “Shook the windows. And why'd it take out the power all the way here?”

Chie shook her head. “I don't know. Look, let's talk about that later, okay?” She nodded to the crowd, which had managed to fill up with a gaggle of rubberneckers.

Yosuke announced, “Okay, folks, we need you to please go back to your shopping. Nothing's happening here, and the power will be back on soon. The registers are all still running, so you can still check out.”

“What happened?” one person asked.

“Nothing serious,” Yosuke said. “It's under control.”

“There was a fight!” shouted one man.

“With a knife,” said a woman.

“Ladies and gentleman,” Chie said, “if you've seen anything I need to speak with you. If not, we need you to please go about your...” She felt someone pass her. She turned around, but nobody was nearby. It was a strange feeling, almost the same as one she'd had earlier, just before the transformer explosion.

“Excuse me, Officer, I need to ask you a few questions.”

Chie turned back to see a petite woman in a suit, wearing what looked like a police uniform cap. “I'm sorry, ma'am, but unless you're a witness I'm going to have to ask you...”

The woman flashed an ID and Chie immediately examined it. “Shirogane, huh? I remember you. You've worked with the department on a few cases before, right? Well, Detective, this was just an altercation. Nothing to investigate here.”

“On the contrary,” Naoto said, “I believe there's more to this. Was there a girl dressed in black involved?”

“I don't...” Chie started.

“Yeah, there was!” a bystander said. She was a middle-aged woman, carrying a shopping basket. “She was fighting with an older-looking guy for a knife.”

“Did you see where they went?” Naoto asked.

“Now just a minute...” Chie started.

“No,” the woman said, as if Chie hadn't spoken at all. “They were there by those TVs one minute, and the next they were gone.”

“Did the older man have gray hair?” Naoto asked.

“Detective...” Chie said, trying to break in.

“Yeah, that's how I figured out he was older,” the woman said, putting a hand to her waist.

Naoto turned to Chie. “Officer, have you closed off the building?”

“What?” Chie said. “Look, this was just...”

“Are you sure you didn't see where they could have gone?” Naoto asked the woman.

“Um, no,” the woman said. “I mean, they might've gone into that door over there.” She pointed through the archway toward a door marked “Employees Only”, near the TV set display where the fight had occurred.

“Thank you,” Naoto said, pushing her way through the crowd toward the blocked-off area. She flashed her ID to the officer guarding it and he let her through.

Chie watched as Naoto disappeared through the employee door.  _ What the hell? _ she thought.  _ Either she's really bored, or she's fishing for work. _ She grumbled and turned back to the woman. “Ma'am, have you given your statement to any of the officers yet?”

Naoto ran up and down the wide aisles of the warehouse, poking in every dark nook with her pocket flashlight for any hint as to where the Dojima girl or Seta could have gone. Of course, she knew the most obvious possibility was that they'd slipped out one of the back doors and had disappeared into the woods, or into town. Still, if they were indeed struggling for a knife as the witness had said, there could still be some evidence of it. A bit of torn clothing, or possibly a blood spatter.

She couldn't believe she had been so careless. She'd followed the Dojima girl from the restaurant to Hill Park, where she'd seen Seta meet with Namatame again. She knew should have confronted Dojima then and forced her to go home, but she'd been too busy listening in on the conversation between the three characters. She'd had to fall behind to stay out of sight when they came to Junes, and in the process had managed to lose Seta and Namatame while Dojima had wandered off. Then she heard the explosion and tuned her headset to the police frequency. She'd left her post to go help, but by the time she arrived she'd found that those who'd been injured in the explosion had already been treated or taken to the hospital. She'd rushed back to Junes to catch up back up with the Dojima only to find that the police were there on a call apparently involving Seta and Dojima.

_ Some detective I am _ , she thought.  _ I left my post to help at a disaster, and ended up losing both my marks. I couldn't even get to the Shrine in time to help.  _ She swiped a hand against her forehead, pushing her still-wet bangs to the side.  _ I can't believe I've dishonored my family so badly in the space of less than an hour. _

“Officer, can I help you?” Naoto turned to see a man who looked about her age approaching. His name tag said he was the Assistant Manager, named Yosuke. She'd seen him before, she was sure. “Oh sorry,” he said. “From behind you looked like you were in uniform.”

“Actually, I do work with the police,” Naoto said. “Maybe you can help me. Do you have security cameras in this area?”

“Yeah, actually,” Yosuke said. “The system's got a backup battery so it should have been working when everything happened.”

“Take me to it, please.”

Yosuke shrugged. “Okay, but I don't know if we can watch it with the power out. Any clue when it'll be back on?”

“No, I'm sorry,” Naoto said. “I'm willing to wait, if that's all right.”

Yosuke gave a half-smile. “Sure, no problem. It's...”

He was interrupted by a crash, and screaming from within the store. They ran together back into the store to find people panicking, the police trying and failing to control the crowd. Naoto pushed her way through them until she reached the store's main concourse and could see out the front windows. She skidded to a halt and stared at the scene outside for a moment. Then she spun around and shouted, “Officers, get everyone to the typhoon shelter right now!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji tucked and rolled to the left as he landed, trying not to fall where he thought Nanako would be. Instead the floor in front of the TV was clear, and Nanako was standing frozen at the archway. There were quite a few swarms before her and she was panting heavily as she stared at them. The knife was gone from her hand; he saw it lying on the floor near where she had landed when she first entered.

“Nanako,” Souji said, just as Taro and then Rise emerged from the TV behind him.

Nanako spun around. Her eyes were wide, her skin pale. “N-no...not again...”

“Nanako, please calm down,” Souji said, taking a step forward. “Let me explain.”

She shook her head in rapid side-to-side jerks. “N-no!” she said. “This isn't...this wasn't...she can't...wasn't supposed to...come here!” She turned and charged her way through the swarms.

“Nanako, no!” Souji shouted. He started sprinting after her, ducking underneath one of the larger, thicker swarms.

“Senpai, wait up!” Rise shouted as she and Taro started to run after him.

“No, Nanako's...” Souji started, but he couldn't think how to finish that thought. He wasn't sure what was happening to her, except that she seemed to be coming completely unhinged. She was bad enough in the real world, but now, being in the Shadow World, this  _ new _ Shadow World, he had no idea what to expect.

Nanako was running for all she was worth, but appeared to be in a panic and was tripping over things on the ground and her own feet. She managed to look back at Souji and scream, “You stay away from me, demon!”

“Nanako, please stop!” Souji shouted.

“Nanako-chan, it's me, Rise-chan!” Rise shouted. “Please, listen to me!”

“This isn't good,” Taro said. “If those Memflies get her...”

“I know!” Rise said. Her head was pounding with the exertion and her own overpowering fatigue, but she forced herself to continued on. “Believe me, I know!”

Souji burst his way out the front doors, just barely dodging a collection of swarms, to see Nanako standing in the middle of the parking lot. Once again she seemed to be frozen in place. He kept quiet as he approached this time, but she must have heard his footsteps and she spun around. “What is this? What have you done to me?”

“I didn't do this,” Souji said. “Please, let me explain.”

Before he could continue, though, he saw her head start to shake violently back and forth. It stopped a few times, and each time it did her expression changed from terrified to smug, from cheerful to furious. Eventually the shaking stopped and her face settled on a contemptuous sneer.

“So this is where you've been hiding,” she said. “Some kind of – what, a simulation of Junes? This your dream world or something? Got your own hookers to go along with it? Or maybe it's little girls with you. Yeah, that must be it, you  _ hentai _ !”

Souji had no response. He tried not to listen to the hateful words, but even after these days of hearing Nanako utter her bile against him, it wasn't any easier to dismiss them. No matter what she said to him, though, he still loved her and feared for her safety. He had no idea what had caused the Memflies to attack Rise, and was worried that they may do the same to his Little Sis.

“Nanako-chan, please,” said Rise, breathing heavily as she caught up to Souji. “This isn't what you think. Something's wrong with everyone. We're only trying to help.”

“Help?” Nanako said. She shook her head and looked straight at Souji. “If you'd wanted to help, Big Bro, you would've come back a long time ago.”

“I couldn't...w-wait, what?” Souji said. “You...you remember?”

Nanako opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it. She glanced around, and then down at herself. “I – I  _ do _ remember,” she said, looking back at Souji. “There was always... _ something _ about you. Every time I saw you it kept fighting to come forward. It hurt a lot. But it doesn't hurt so much anymore. No, that's a lie.” She spread her arms out. “It hurts more now,  _ because _ I remember. You left me, and you stayed away for so long. Kept breaking your promise to come back. Just like Dad, breaking promises all the time. I hate you so much. You and Dad. Both of you can go to Hell for all I care!”

“No, that's not true!”

That last statement had been made with Nanako's voice and had come from her direction, but her lips did not move while they were spoken. A blue aura suddenly appeared around her body, a heatless flame that flashed bright white for a fraction of a second. After the flash another Nanako stepped forward out of the first. She looked identical to the other, down to the heavy black clothing and clinging wet hair, but she was not surrounded by the blue aura. Souji could see that this one's eyes were not the empty, bloodshot ones he'd seen in Nanako these past few days but were very alive, and very frightened. She was walking slowly, her head bobbing lazily as if she'd just woken from a deep sleep. “Big...Big Bro, what's...what's happening...to me?” she asked.

“Big Bro, save me!” the other Nanako retorted mockingly. As the new Nanako turned to her clone and struggled to keep standing, Souji could see that the other Nanako's eyes had turned yellow. At that moment it all became clear. Somehow the other Nanako, the Nanako he'd dealt with since arriving in Inaba, was indeed Nanako's  _ Shadow _ . “Big Bro, I need you so much! Please come visit me. I've been a good little girl for you! Feh!” Shadow Nanako spat on the ground. “Makes me want to puke.”

Rise's hands were at her mouth. “Nanako-chan, no...” When they'd rescued Nanako years ago her Shadow had failed to emerge. Ever since, Rise had come to think of the girl as more pure than any of the rest of them. Even after all that Souji had told her today, even after seeing the girl's behavior herself, Rise still had trouble believing it all. Now she had to make herself understand that Nanako had grown up and, like them, was a flawed human being. “Your Shadow,” she said.

“Oh, don't even,” Shadow Nanako said. “Little miss idol with the perfect life. Try coming down to earth and seeing what us little people have to live with!”

The new Nanako was staring at her other self. “What...what are you?”

“I'm you,” Shadow Nanako said, grinning. “I'm the  _ real  _ you, the one you don't let anyone see. You want everyone to like you so you hide me from them, but in the end you're just so disappointed in everyone. You can't count on anyone, not even Daddy, not even Souji, your 'Big Bro', because in the end they'll all break their promises and fail you.” She closed her eyes. “All these boys at school look at me like I'm some freak. They're afraid to come near me because they all know I'm the cop's kid, the girl who was kidnapped. The boys at school want nothing to do with me. Daddy wants nothing to do with me. Big Bro wants nothing to do with me.” She turned her yellow gaze to Souji. “You promised me! You  _ promised _ ! You liar!” Tears started to run down her cheeks. “How  _ dare  _ you! Who do you think you are? Trying to teach my Dad how to be a father? You were always so much more concerned with your friends and your schoolwork and your job and your fighting Shadows than you were spending time with me! Well, I don't need  _ anybody _ , least of all not a gray-haired selfish idiot like you!”

“No! Don't say things like that! They're not true. I – I don't feel that way...” Nanako said, her voice becoming less sure as she continued. She took a few tentative steps away from the Shadow.

“Of course you do,” Shadow Nanako said. “You're just afraid to admit it to yourself. You hate Daddy, and you hate Big Bro.”

“No, that's not true!” Nanako shot back in a screaming sob, sounding much more sure of herself now.

“Nanako-chan, wait!” Rise started.

“No, let her,” Souji said. “It's just like before, with the rest of us. She has to face herself like this. You know it just like I do.”

“What the hell is happening?” Taro said. He had remained silent and watched the whole exchange, but the sheer insanity of what he was seeing before him had become too much. Souji had mentioned something like this to him, about facing oneself in the Shadow World, but he couldn't have imagined just how surreal it was to see it happen to someone. It made his head swim.

“That one, the one with the yellow eyes, is her hidden self,” Souji said. “She has to face it. It's a long story.”

“Of course, you know  _ everything _ , don't you?” Shadow Nanako said, her voice mocking again. Now, though, it was blended with another voice, deeper, with a growling to it. “Everything about love and life, cooking and killing. Big Bro, always so smart. Well, you're the  _ stupidest  _ one of all!”

“No, stop it!” Nanako cried. “You're not real! You're not me! You're nobody!”

Shadow Nanako looked at her, eyes wide. Then she threw her head back and laughed. “Yes, yes! Say it again!”

Nanako, however, couldn't find the strength to say any more. She started to back away as her Shadow's aura doubled, and then  _ tripled _ , in intensity. Rise shouted, “No, they're being drawn to her!” Souji and Taro saw what she meant; Memflies were streaming through the air and collecting in the Shadow's aura, polluting the blue until it became pitch black. Glowing red embers rose from the ground and added to the aura, giving it the sooty, smoldering appearance of a coal fire into which her form vanished completely.

Souji tried to run to Nanako but was thrown backward by a sudden flash of energy from within the dark cloud. The Shadow's booming voice said, “Oh, coming to the rescue again? Well, this time I don't need it!”

Nanako crumpled to the ground as Souji, Taro and Rise were held back by the sheer intensity of Shadow Nanako's power. They could only watch as her body grew out of the black aura, the dark energies painting her flesh all different colors as they did so. As she expanded her hair spread out from her long, unkempt locks becoming a wild, stark white mane. Her face was streaked with colors that seemed to melt and flow downward, simultaneously evoking images of a punk rocker and someone who had been violently slashed in the face and was bleeding profusely. Her clothes turned so dark that they seemed to absorb the light around her, and spikes sprouted from all over her body. In her hand appeared a knife that was half as long as her new form was tall, with a jagged edge and dripping with a thick ichor that swirled red and black just like the liquid dripping from her face. Her outfit completed itself with gleaming black knee-high boots, the heels ending in points so tiny Souji couldn't even see where the tips touched the ground. She stopped growing when she was about eye-level with the tops of the light poles.

She emitted another burst of light, and when the light cleared they beheld Shadow Nanako's form in full. They could just barely see the girl's face in the painted one above them, though it was a perverted, twisted version of the girl they knew. It was far worse than the jaded, angry Nanako, for this one had apparently purged itself of the good, kind Nanako they knew. It was dancing in place, tossing the giant knife from hand to hand.

“I am a Shadow, the  _ true _ self!” She swung the knife around in her grip, switching to an underhanded wield.

“Oh my God,” Taro said.

“Don't worry, we've fought Shadows like this before,” Rise said.

“Yeah,” Souji said, though not as certain as Rise sounded. He looked down at Nanako, lying barely conscious near the feet of her overpowering Shadow. As it moved its feet around in its songless dance its vicious-looking spike heels came closer to her with each step. He turned to Taro. “We've gotta get Nanako away from there.”

“I'll go,” Taro said. “I owe her as much.”

“No,” Souji said. “You cover me. I – I think the Shadow won't be as likely to stomp me.”

Taro tilted his head skeptically. “You sure? Five minutes ago she was trying to stab you with a butcher knife.”

“Please, just do it.”

After a split second Taro nodded. “Okay, hope it works this time.” He leapt onto the hood of one of the parked cars and turned to Shadow Nanako. “Persona!” Ame-No-Uzume emerged from his body and fired a stream of lightning at her. She roared in anger and threw her massive knife at him. He leapt onto the car's roof, just barely dodging the blade, but it struck the car's hood and flipped its rear upward, sending him flying back into the pavement.

Souji was already on the move and had scooped up Nanako before the Shadow knew he was there. “Oh, you're a sneaky little bastard!” Shadow Nanako shouted, stomping down. Her spike heel jammed into the ground where Souji and Nanako had been a second before, embedding itself almost half a meter into the asphalt. The ground shook with her stomp and he barely kept his footing as he ran back toward Rise with Nanako in his arms.

“Stay with her,” Souji said. Rise nodded, and he set Nanako down at her feet before running back into the fray to help Taro.

Shadow Nanako yanked hard and freed her foot, tearing out chunks of the pavement and flinging them in all directions. She flung her hand upward and struck Souji with a massive fire attack. He had just barely managed to switch Personas to Metatron, activating its Repel Fire ability and saving himself from serious burns. The fireball rebounded on Shadow Nanako, causing her to recoil and cry out, though Souji was sure it was more in anger than pain.

Taro, who had already gotten back to his feet, cast Hamaon on Shadow Nanako. A translucent shield reflected the spell back at him. Giant white cards appeared to swirl about him. They froze for an instant, and as soon as they vanished Taro collapsed.

“No, Taro-kun! Senpai, help him!” Rise shouted, now kneeling and cradling Nanako in her lap.

Shadow Nanako reached over and grabbed her knife from where it had stuck into the parked car and tore it loose, sending the remains of the car flying. Souji cast Heaven's Blade on a piece that was about to hit Taro and it flew off in a different direction, smashing into a parked truck and knocking it into the car next to it. Before the Shadow could attack again Souji switched to Sandalphon and cast Agneyastra, interrupting her attack and sending her to one knee. He then cast Samarecarm on Taro, who quickly got back on his feet.

“This thing's though,” Taro said, panting, as he summoned his Persona to strike the Shadow with God's Hand. Truth be told, Souji remembered other enemies being far more powerful than this one, though when he fought those he was with others who were themselves more powerful and experienced at fighting than Taro was.

“You just want to forget about me!” Shadow Nanako cried. “That's why I forgot about you!” She returned to her standing position and then rose into the air. She clapped her hands together. “Supernova!” The air exploded around them, knocking them both to the ground. Rise screamed and pulled Nanako close to her chest, Kanzeon just barely able to shield them from the attack.

Souji was dazed. He looked up and could see two of the giant Shadows before him. He tried to push himself off the ground but his arms had gone rubbery and he fell back down. He glanced to his right and saw that Taro was lying on his back, out cold once again.

Shadow Nanako was laughing as she set foot back on the ground, gently, as if she were a ballet dancer. “This is for all the times you broke my heart, Big Bro!” She raised her knife high in the air, the point down toward Souji. “I'm gonna cut yours in two.”

Rise shouted, “Senpai! Get up! Hurry!”

Souji tried, but his body was barely responsive.  _ Is this how it ends? Killed by my own Little Sis? _

“Big...Bro...” Nanako muttered.

Shadow Nanako hesitated, the knife wavering ever so slightly in her grip.

“N-no,” Nanako said. “I don't want this.”

“Yes...I do!” Shadow Nanako said.

“No,” Nanako said. Rise looked down at her and saw her eyes were wide, alert, and focused on her Shadow. “I was so angry at him, sometimes I wanted to forget him. But when he called and said he was coming, I was so happy.” She pushed herself off Rise's lap into a standing position. She swayed a little, but then stood straight and strong. “You're me, things I felt but didn't want to say. Mostly. But there's something else in you too that's not me.” She walked toward her Shadow self.

“Nanako-chan, wait!” Rise said. She started after Nanako, but Nanako turned and held up her hand.

“I...I am myself!” Shadow Nanako said. “I'm nobody else!”

“You're me, like you said.” Nanako continued walking, Souji able to do little more than look up at her as she passed him. He tried to speak, to warn her away, but something held his jaw shut. “But the part of you that wants to hurt Big Bro  _ isn't _ me,” she continued. “If it wants to hurt him, it's gonna have to do it by itself. You're not gonna help it.” She was now standing before her Shadow's giant boot. Shadow Nanako stared down at her, and with no warning brought her blade crashing down on the girl.

“No!” Rise screamed. Souji, still groggy but just barely back on his feet, tried to run after her but once again struck an invisible shield and was thrown backward.

Nanako was still standing, looking up at what her other self had become. The knife had dug into the ground mere centimeters from her. A strip of the long-sleeved black shirt was stuck in the ground with the knife, and blood was dripping from a small wound on her arm. She didn't seem to notice. She tilted her head, her expression changing from resolute to sympathetic. “You're not a killer, that thing inside you is trying to make you into one. But that's not you, no matter how sad you, how sad  _ I _ , am.” She crossed her arms. “I'm talking to the part of you that isn't me, now. If you want to hurt people, you're going to have to do it on your own. Give me back the part you stole.”

Shadow Nanako's aura intensified for a second, and then the black seemed to wash out of it, leaving the blue that had been there before. Its body shrank, thick plumes of black erupting from all over its body, until it was again the same size as Nanako. The smoke collected into an amorphous dark blob overhead. Nanako and her Shadow stared each other down. To Souji it was as if Nanako were looking into a mirror, except for the yellow eyes and blue glow in her reflection.

“You're me,” Nanako said. “All the pain, the anger, everything I've been holding in for so long. I'm sorry I denied you.”

Shadow Nanako gave a curt nod, and a small smile. “Thank you,” the Shadow said in an echoing voice that was entirely Nanako's, with none of the deep rumbling that had infested it before. Then, in a flash of white light, Shadow Nanako vanished. In her place was a two-story tall woman clad in a bright blue dress, golden hair flowing in an unseen wind, white feathered wings where her arms should have been. “ _ I am Seraph, guardian of the throne of God. Together we shall help bring light back to the world.” _ The Persona vanished, and in her place floated a card, depicting a scale in the shape of a sword with a bowl dangling from either side, the Roman numeral “VIII” at its bottom.

Nanako reached out and accepted the card as it descended toward her. “Persona,” she whispered, examining it. A wave of soothing light washed over them all.

Taro regained consciousness and sat up. The giant Shadow was gone. He turned to Souji. “What the...? Did we win?”

There was a wail from overhead and they all looked up. Rise gasped. Floating far above was the mass of Memflies that had been ejected from Nanako's Shadow, having formed itself into a distorted creature with two heads, three arms, and half a leg. Or, perhaps it was a stubby tail. It was writhing as it spun in the air as if on an invisible string.

“What is it?” Souji asked

Rise summoned Kanzeon. “It's...something else,” she said. “I can't tell for sure. It's more than just Memflies. I think – maybe it controls them somehow.”

“Then we need to stop it,” Taro said, steadying himself on one knee.

“You're going to have to find someone else to use,” Nanako called out to the creature. “You don't control me anymore.”

The creature let out a shrill scream, shattering the windows of all the nearby vehicles, and then it vanished. Nanako collapsed to her knees.

“Nanako!” cried all three, and they ran to her.

Souji lifted her into his arms. She was a little heavier than he remembered. “I'm okay,” she said. “Just...tired.”

“We'll take you home,” Souji said, touching his lips on her forehead. She was cold.

“Okay,” Nanako said. She looked up at him and smiled. “Big Bro, I'm so happy you finally came.” She looked away. “I'm, um, sorry I tried to kill you.”

Souji smiled, and Rise laughed despite herself, tears welling in her eyes. “It's okay,” Souji said. “It wasn't you.”

“Some of it was,” Nanako said. “But that other thing...it made everything worse. Made me so angry I couldn't think straight. I was talking to myself all the time, but sometimes it was like someone else was talking back, I just don't...” She closed her eyes and slumped against Souji's chest. “I need to sleep.”

Souji saw a drop of water appear on Nanako's cheek, and realized hit had come from his own eyes. He so happy was he to have Nanako,  _ his _ Nanako, back. Maybe now everything would be all right.

“C'mon, Souji-kun,” Taro said, still breathing heavily, as he gripped Souji's shoulder. “Let's get her home.”

“Uh, we might want to find a different place to go back through,” Rise said. “Look.” Dozens of swarms were gathering around them, many from inside Junes, but others from up and down the street. A couple of the swarms that had come out of Junes were very dense. “Maybe we'd better get out of here.”

“Nanako, can you walk?” Souji asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Nanako said. She stood with Souji's help. “Might need to take it slow, though.” Souji took her hand, while Rise, who was roughly the same height as Nanako, got on her other side and put Nanako's arm over her shoulder.

They made their way to the street as quickly as they could, keeping a lookout for any hostile swarms. Taro told them about an old big-screen television in a junk closet in his parents' house, left over from his divorce, that he had never managed to dispose of. It hadn't worked since his ex-wife poured a glass of sake into it just before walking out on him, but they figured it was worth a try.

As they walked toward Taro's house several ambulances and police cruisers passed them, their lights flashing, though there were no sirens. In fact, the only sound they could hear aside from the wind was their own footsteps. “That doesn't look good,” Rise said. Then she gasped. “You don't think what we do here affects the real world, do you?”

“If those ambulances are in the real world, maybe,” Taro said.

“Explosion,” Nanako said. They turned their attention to her. Her voice breathy, she continued, “There was an explosion while you guys were in here before, and the power went out at the same time. I wasn't thinking clearly, but I was sure you did it somehow.”

“Then...do you think people were hurt in the real world while we were fighting here?” Rise asked.

“We can't worry about that right now,” Souji said. “We need to get back to the real world before anything else happens.”

They made the rest of the trek to Taro's house in relative silence, none of them wanting to think about the possible consequences to their actions. When they reached the house and Taro let them in, Souji noticed that Nanako's eyes were closed, and her head was rolling slightly as if she were in a trance. “Nanako?” He squeezed her hand.

“Yeah,” she said, her eyes still closed.

“Are you gonna make it home?” Rise asked.

“Yeah, just conserving energy.”

Souji smiled to Rise, who smiled back. She was far smarter than anyone would expect of a girl her age. He remembered that she'd always been. “Can you make it upstairs?”

“Yeah,” she said. She opened her eyes. “Let's get back to the real world. I don't like this one much.”

They had to move aside various boxes and other miscellaneous junk in the upstairs closet to get to the TV. In their first stroke of luck in what seemed like a very long time, it was indeed still usable as a portal between the worlds. Taro put his head through first to ensure the way was clear, and then went through the rest of the way. Souji and Rise helped Nanako through second, and then Rise and Souji went through together. On the other side, they found that the junk they had moved was in the same place they'd put it, on the opposite side of the TV. “The stuff's still moved, just like we did over there,” Taro said. “What we do there happens here too.”

Rise hugged herself, feeling very cold all of a sudden. “H-how many people did we hurt? What did we do?”

“You  _ saved _ me,” Nanako said. “ _ I'm _ the one who hurt people.”

“That wasn't you,” Souji said. “It wasn't even your Shadow. It was that thing inside you.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “No matter what happened over there, it wasn't your fault.”

Nanako gave a sad smile. “I wanna go home.”

Taro went with them as they helped her back to her house. The trek was interrupted at several points by speeding ambulances and police cars. One of the cars stopped to offer assistance, apparently noticing her leaning on both Rise and Souji as they walked. According to the officer, there was a freak whirlwind in the Junes parking lot that had thrown cars around and smashed windows. They said that, miraculously, nobody was killed or even seriously injured. Most had passed out or were in a condition similar to Nanako's, barely able to walk. The officer pointed out Nanako's torn sleeve and cut arm, but Rise assured him that she had simply fallen ill on a walk to the Riverbed and scraped her arm against a thorn bush. He finally let the quartet pass.

“A whirlwind,” Taro said. “Is that what they saw, or is it just an explanation for something they couldn't - well, explain?”

“I'm just relieved nobody was hurt too badly,” Rise said. “But this means that if we're going to be on that side we've got to be a lot more careful what we do. Somebody over here could get killed if we don't.”

Souji couldn't think about it right now. All that concerned him was that Nanako was back. He had managed to save her. Whatever was in the future would come, but his Little Sis was back. He would accept that and be happy for today.

It took them a little while to get back to the house. As soon as they reached it and were inside Nanako slumped against Souji. “So...tired,” she said.

“It's okay, I'll carry you.” Souji picked her up in both arms, struggling a little. He gave a forced chuckle. “Man, you're heaver than I remember.”

“Thought you knew how to talk to girls,” Nanako said, frowning at him.

“You're not a girl, you're my Little Sis.”

“Yeah, I'll just pretend you didn't say that and go to sleep.” She closed her eyes.

“I think you're just pretending,” Souji said.

“Can't hear you. Sleeping,” Nanako said.

Rise giggled, and Taro did his best not to laugh visibly. Happy that Nanako's sense of humor had survived her ordeal, he said, “Help yourselves to the kitchen. I'll be down in a bit.”

Souji carried Nanako upstairs to her room and he laid her down in her bed. While he was sure she would be uncomfortable in the heavy, not-at-all-summerlike clothes, he wouldn't violate her privacy by trying to change her. Instead he covered her with a thin sheet and folded over a blanket next to her, and then turned on the fan next to her bed, setting it to oscillate so it didn't blow directly on any one part of her for too long at a time. She murmured and rolled onto her side, clutching the blanket tightly. He laid a hand on her cheek and then kissed her forehead. Color was returning to her cheeks, and she felt warmer now. Her eyes still closed, she smiled a little.

“Little Sis, I...” he started. He wanted to say “I love you,” but he always found those words hard to say even when he meant them. He remembered it was one of the things that had always annoyed Yukiko, but pushed that out of his mind as best he could. “I'm glad to have you back.” He pulled the sneakers off her bare feet and then stood and tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Alone in the room with only the whisper of the fan, Nanako said, “I love you, Big Bro.” She was in a blissful, deep sleep within seconds.

Downstairs Souji set her shoes on the floor by the front door, and then joined Rise and Taro at the living room table. Taro was sipping a coffee and Rise held a green tea in her hands, but it didn't look like she'd touched it yet.

“She'll be okay,” Souji said.

“Good,” Taro said. He looked down into his coffee. “So you all went through that too, huh?”

“Yeah,” Rise said. “Believe it or not, though, it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.” She smiled at Souji. “I met this guy, after all.”

Taro rubbed his eyes, not noticing Souji's blushing. “All that pain inside her, and I caused so much of it.”

“Don't blame yourself,” Souji said. “She doesn't. It was me she was angry with, not you.”

“Senpai,” Rise said. She placed a hand on Souji's. He smiled and place his other hand over hers. “You're cold,” she said, squeezing it.

“I'm okay,” Souji said. “Just tired. We've all been through a lot today. You especially.”

Rise smiled. “I'm fine. Actually, I'm a lot better than I was.” She took a sip of her tea. “So...we should probably go over everything that happened today, huh?”

“Maybe later,” Souji said. "I think we all need a rest.”

They shared the silence for a few minutes, and then Taro set his cup down. “Thanks for letting me mooch the coffee, Souji-kun, but I need to get home. It's late and I'm exhausted.”

Souji nodded. “You did great, Taro-kun. You're a hero, and I mean that.”

Taro gave a small smile but shook his head. “You don't have to.”

“Yeah we do,” Rise said. “Who knows what those Memflies might've done to me if you hadn't saved me. You gave me back my memories. You brought me back. You saved me, and I'll always be grateful.”

“And without you we wouldn't have been able to save Nanako,” Souji said. “We'll see you tomorrow and figure out what to do next.”

Taro's smile widened a little. He nodded, and then walked silently out of the house.

“He's a good guy,” Souji said. “If it hadn't been for Adachi, he might have been able to help us the first time around. Maybe if we'd had an adult with us, things might've been easier.”

“Maybe,” Rise said, “though you'll always be our leader.”

Souji looked back at her. She was staring into his eyes. He felt warm all of a sudden, the skin in his cheeks starting to burn. “Rise-chan, I...”

Rise leaned over and silenced him with a kiss to the lips. They lingered in the kiss for a second and separated. They gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds more, and then Souji initiated the second kiss. He cradled her head in his hand, and she placed hers at his cheeks.

It felt so wonderful to have such a release. He had cared so deeply for Rise, even when they were separated, even when he only knew of her as Risette, the star of all those movies and albums. He had wanted for this for so long, so desperately needed to be close to someone...

He pulled away. “No, I'm sorry, Rise...I – I can't.” He turned his eyes down to the floor.

Rise knew immediately that it had been wrong for them to kiss. And yet it had been right. She hated love sometimes. It was so damned confusing. She placed her fingers under his chin and lifted his head until he was looking into her eyes again. “You still love her, don't you?”

Souji closed his eyes and nodded. “I – I guess I do. I'm so sorry, Rise. I care so much for you, I always have. But Yukiko...”

“She's your soulmate,” Rise said. She smiled, though when he opened his eyes he could see the sadness in hers. “I always knew it, we all did.”

“And she's married now.”

Rise's eyes fell. “I still don't know how she could have done that to you.”

“I've been asking myself that question all week,” Souji said. “I figured...it was all my fault, for being away so long.”

“Bull!” Rise said, her sudden intensity startling him. “I don't care how long you're away, they're your real friends. Being away doesn't separate true friends like that. Something weird's going on, you know it. You got through to me, I know we can get through to them.” She shrugged. “Then we can figure out about – well, the 'marriage' thing.”

Souji nodded. He blinked, but it took several seconds for him to muster the strength to open his eyes again.

“You look so tired,” Rise said. “You need to lie down.”

“I need to figure out what I'm going to say to my uncle,” he said. “The last time he and I talked it was about how rebellious Nanako was, and to him it was like she was always like that. What's he going to say if he sees her like her old self again?”

“Maybe when he sees Nanako-chan like she is now  _ his _ memory'll come back too. He can help us.”

“I hope so,” Souji said. He stood, and Rise stood with him. “You're right, I'm going to take a nap. Then I'm gonna go try to talk to Ryotaro-san, see what I can do.”

“You want me to come with?” Rise asked.

“No, not yet,” Souji said. He took a deep breath to keep from yawning. “Maybe I'll just stay here for a while. See what happens when he gets back.”

“Then I should probably go. Your uncle probably wouldn't be too happy to see you alone in the house with a strange girl.” They walked to the door together. Rise slipped on her sneakers, but before stepping outside she turned and kissed Souji once more, this time on the cheek. “I just want you know I'm here for you,” she said, gazing into his eyes. “I care a lot for you, I always have. I promise you we're going to fix all of this.” She placed a hand on his cheek and another on his arm. She felt him tremble slightly under her touch, but tried to put what had just happened between them out of her mind.  _ In another life _ , she thought. “Okay?”

Souji nodded and smiled. They stayed that way for several seconds before Rise finally turned and stepped out the door. “Oh, and I'm coming back in the morning,” Rise said. “Gotta see how Nanako-chan's doing. And – how you're doing, too.” With a shy smile she turned and continued walking away.

Souji closed the door behind her, and then leaned against it. He cared for Rise, too. In fact, it felt like more than that. Was it love? Was it loneliness? He couldn't be sure. And yet he kissed her, and he liked it. He wanted to kiss her again. At the same time that thought filled him with immense guilt. How could he betray Yukiko like that?

Then again, what was there to betray? They hadn't been together for years. She was married now. If anything, hadn't  _ she _ betrayed  _ him _ ? Didn't he deserve a chance at happiness too?

He opened the door. Rise was gone. He gripped the doorknob tightly, and then closed the door again. He was too tired to think straight. Why did he have to think through this, though? Love wasn't logical or calculating. Maybe this was how things were supposed to be. Suppose he and Yukiko did somehow end up back together. Did he plan to live in Inaba forever? After he graduated, was he going to settle down here? He was already on the way to becoming like his parents, professionals who rarely settled anywhere because their skills were in such demand in so many places. It was what he knew growing up, and in that he had much more in common with Rise than with Yukiko.

A wide yawn, so strong it brought tears to his eyes, forced its way out his mouth.  _ I can't think about this now _ , he thought.  _ I think way too damn much sometimes _ . He trundled up the stairs and into his room. He collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to remove his clothes, and was quickly lost to the world.

Rise had made it halfway down the street before she stopped and looked down at her feet. She felt so ashamed of herself.

Part of her was glad Yukiko was married. She didn't want to feel that, but it was there. She'd loved Yukiko like a sister, but had always been so jealous of her at the same time. Souji had been the first and only man to care about  _ Rise _ , not  _ Risette _ . Even Yosuke and Kanji, who were very good friends to her, had always seen her through Risette-colored glasses. When she kissed him she had let her heart do the thinking, and had tried to take advantage of  _ his _ heart, just now mending from the return of his Little Sis, to write herself indelibly on his soul. She wanted to have him love her not as a friend, but as the lover she'd always wanted to be for him.

Such feelings were borne out of jealousy, and she didn't want them. And yet they were there and she couldn't deny them. She didn't know which would be better: to find out Yukiko really was married and Souji could be hers, or for it to have been some kind of sham and for Souji to have a way to be happy with his true soulmate.

But just because they'd once thought they were soulmates didn't mean they  _ actually _ were. It was a long time ago, and even before everything had started happening recently in Inaba, they were still different people than they were back then. They were still  _ children _ back then, really. Why didn't Rise deserve a chance to be happy? Why didn't she deserve the chance to find out whether  _ she _ and Souji were soulmates?

Never had she wanted to break down and cry as badly as she did now. Shame, longing, jealousy, disappointment, unrequited love.  _ That  _ was what it was like to be Rise Kujikawa, star of stage and screen.


	9. Chariot Of Fortune

Naoto ran toward the store's entrance, dodging the people fleeing inside to seek sanctuary within. “Everyone get to the typhoon shelter!” she shouted, trying to be heard over their panicked screaming. She made it outside just in time to see parts of a car fly off in two different directions, the larger section crashing into a pickup truck and knocking it into the car parked next to it. The wind was blowing hard against her, but there was no sound accompanying it, not even a whistling in her ears. The only sound aside from human screams and footfalls was a rising and falling whine, like that of a distant siren. However, the weather warning siren at the edge of Junes' lot was silent.

There were people lying on the ground all about her. “Hey, Detective!” Naoto turned to see Chie lifting a child from the concrete walk, cradling him in both arms. “We need to get all these people inside now!” She ran inside with the child.

“Right,” Naoto said. She knelt down at a man who was on his back just outside the door. She shouted into the store, “Get on your radio and call for more help!” She heaved the man with all her strength, but could only just lift his upper body. She dragged him indoors as best she could, and within a moment Chie was at her side, helping her lift him.

“C'mon, we gotta hurry!” Chie said. Another police officer neared and she said, “Fukuda, help me with this man!”

The slender officer, apparently stronger than he looked, wrapped his arms around the unconscious man and took the entire weight onto himself. “I've got him. More help's coming!” He trudged back into the store's main concourse.

Chie was already gone, having run back outside, but Naoto watched Officer Fukuda for a moment. While she had come to peace with her gender, sometimes she envied men's innate upper body strength.  _ Dammit Naoto, this isn't the time! _ she shouted to herself, and ran outside after Chie.

She almost tripped over a new body on the ground just outside the door. She knelt down and rolled it onto its back to see that it was Officer Satonaka. “Satonaka-san!” Naoto said. She checked Chie's throat for a pulse and found it strong. Chie's chest was heaving at a regular rhythm and her eyes appeared to be rolling around underneath her eyelids. Naoto briefly checked her for injuries but none were apparent. She slapped Chie's cheek lightly. “Satonaka-san, can you hear me?”

There was a high-pitched wail from behind, much louder than the one that she'd heard before, its pitch so high she thought for a second it would make her head explode. She turned to look, and where before there had only been wrecked cars she swore she could see some people standing at the center of the lot, the apparent epicenter of whatever was happening. Before them was a tall figure that seemed to be melting, clouds of black pouring from it and forming into a giant black object hanging in the sky. She stared at it as it morphed, parts of it stretching and shrinking back into itself as it spun in place.

She immediately began to feel lightheaded. She tried to stand but the muscles in her legs were suddenly too weak to push her away from the ground. She turned the store and tried to shout for help, but couldn't make any sound. She turned back to the object hanging in the sky, but it streaked across her field of vision. Then, everything became a blur. The last thing she saw before her sight gave out was a figure, somewhat human, floating before her on giant batlike wings. Its arms and legs were crossed, and long strands of blond hair streamed down from its temples. It was gazing at her with its dark eyes and smiling widely.

As the rest of her muscles gave out she fell on top of Chie. She could feel her heart slowing, and it became increasingly difficult to breathe. Her head seemed to be filled with gelatin, everything inside and outside slowing down. Was this what it was like to die?  _ It doesn't hurt...as much as I thought it...would _ , she observed, finding it more and more difficult to string together anything coherent.

She heard a voice in her head, one that was not her own. It was light and jovial as if telling her a joke. “ _ Goodnight, sweet Detective Prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! And rest up you should, for our game's just getting started.” _

_ Shakespeare, _ Naoto thought with her last bit of mental strength.  _ That's...Shakespeare...  _ And then she was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In what seemed no more than an instant Naoto was inundated with voices and electronic-sounding beeps from all directions. Bright light filtered red through her eyelids and she squeezed them shut, bringing up an arm to shield her eyes. She was cold, her fingers and toes tingling, but a strange giddiness was trying to push its way up her throat. She raised her other hand to her head and noticed her cap was gone. She turned her head to the side, pulling away her fingers a little so she could start adjusting to the light. The intensity of it made her head hurt, but she did her best to focus. What looked like a gurney was to her left, and she could see a pair of feet directly in her field of view. She pulled her hand away a little more and could see there were over a dozen gurneys, lined up side by side, each with someone lying on it. A few of the people were stirring, but most were still except for the rising and lowering of their chests.

_ This is...a hospital, I think. So that wasn't death. _ She pushed herself up into a sitting position and immediately her head began to pound. She gritted her teeth, grunted, and pressed her palms to her face. She sat for a moment, breathing heavily, and while the dizziness subsided the headache remained. She kept her eyes covered, and while that made the pain decrease a little, the ambient cacophony seemed to be trying to split her skull in two. The smell of roasting peanuts overpowered the pervasive odor of disinfectant and human waste that one would normally expect in a hospital. The peanut smell was one she recognized quite well as her migraine aura, the sensory “warning” that a migraine headache was about to strike.  _ You're a little late, _ she thought. Sensitivity to light, sound, and touch were other typical symptoms, ones she always expected but never managed to bear any more easily during each subsequent attack.

She tried to think through the pain, which was always difficult and usually only made the pain worse. She was at Junes, and something happened. Something outside, like a storm. People were injured and she tried to help. Then she passed out. Could that have been from the migraine? It might explain the weird dream she had of that giant black smoke blob and the flying demon character quoting Shakespeare. She'd never had a migraine-induced hallucination beyond the peanut smell, though. Her migraines had grown far less frequent as she neared adulthood, and the attacks had generally reduced in intensity. That was something for which she was thankful. While she was a teenager there was a time when one would strike every Thursday immediately after school, powerful enough to put her out of commission for the rest of the night.

She slid her legs over the side of the bed, the movement feeling so violent that she had to fight the urge to vomit. She swallowed a few times, forcing her stomach's contents back down, and then felt in her jacket for her pill box. She then realized her jacket was gone, and with it her pills, wallet, gun, and toolkit. Taking a few more heavy breaths she uncovered her left eye just enough to search in the oppressive brightness. She saw a plastic bag on the floor near where her feet were hanging. She bent down and snatched it, trying to move as gently as possible, the crackling of the bag like thunder clapping in her head. Her jacket had been rolled up and stuffed inside, and thankfully her pills and ID were with it. She wasn't surprised that her gun and toolkit weren't, though she hoped whoever took them hadn't “misplaced” them. The pistol was easy enough to replace, but she had specially customized her tools over the years and didn't like the idea of losing all that work and money she'd spent on them. She sighed, opened the pill box, and took one of the small pills from within. Her mouth was bone dry, but she tried to muster as much saliva as she could.

“Excuse me, I can't let you take that.” Naoto turned, barely able to look at the nurse in the blue and gleaming white uniform. The woman tried to reach for the pill box but Naoto snapped it away. To her the motion felt as if she'd swung a nightstick at full speed, which disoriented her all the more.

“It's a prescription for my migraine,” she said, her words slurred. She showed the nurse the slip stuck to the box's lid. “Naratriptan,” she explained and popped the pill into her mouth, letting it settle under her tongue to dissolve. The taste of it made her more nauseous than the migraine itself. “I'm fine, I don't need any help.”

“You came in here completely passed out,” the nurse said, reaching again for the pill box. Naoto stuffed it in her pocket, and the nurse instead seized her wrist. Naoto felt her pulse start to throb under the nurse's fingers.

_ Don't grab me like that, _ Naoto thought, her head pounding with each word.  _ I'm in no mood. _ “I'm a private detective, and I had a registered handgun on me, along with a small toolkit. Do you know if they were on me when I arrived?”

“Anything the paramedics took from you will be at the security desk,” the nurse said. “Your heart rate's elevated.”

“As I said,” Naoto started, a sharp edge to her voice. She took a moment to swallow and then continued more calmly, “I'm having a migraine. That's normal for me.”

“You're flushed, too.” She pushed her hand onto Naoto's forehead, the nurse's icy fingers doubling the pain from her headache.

“I'm-having-a- _ mi-graine _ !” Naoto growled, emphasizing each syllable and ripping her arm away out of the nurses grip on the last one. She twisted her head away, and the movement increased her pain even further. It also made her realize she had just lashed out at the wrong person for the wrong reason.

Before she could apologize for her outburst, the nurse said, “Fine, take care of yourself, then,” and stomped away. Naoto thought she heard a few curse words as well, though her temporary sensitivity to sound could have been picking up a dozen of the other conversations and mixing them together in her head.

She sighed. “Dammit.” She sat there for a few moments, her eyes closed, doing her best to keep from collapsing back onto the bed. The pain subsided a little, and she finally garnered the strength to stand. Her toes were still tingling and she had to take some more deep breaths to soothe another wave of nausea. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting to filter out the light, but she felt steady enough on her feet to walk.

After she slipped on her jacket she started making her way slowly around the emergency ward. It was somewhat crowded but she managed to squeeze her way through and examine the occupants of the different beds. As best she could tell in her current state, most appeared to be simply unconscious, though a few had bandages on their arms, legs, or heads.

She didn't see anyone she recognized, but as she focused on the faces a flash of memory washed over her over-sensitized brain. She remembered that Satonaka had been out there, and had also been knocked unconscious.  _ Is she here?  _ she thought.  _ Is she all right? _

She glanced around the ER, but the crowd was too thick for her to see into many of the bays without being almost literally on top of them. She would have to keep wandering, and hope she didn't end up passing out in the process.  _ Why do I have to have a migraine right...? _

“Ow, dammit! Cut it out!”

She whirled around toward the source of that voice. She knew it quite well, but to hear it here...

“You need to hold still, Tatsumi-san, or you're going to injure it worse!”

“Well, gimme something for the pain then!”

_ Of course _ , Naoto thought,  _ the explosion at Tatsuhime Shrine, which is right next to his shop _ . How could she have not thought of him? Still squinting, she made her way as quickly as she could toward where she hoped the voice had come from.

He was being tended by a nurse who was attempting to give him a shot in his left shoulder. That arm was wrapped tightly to his side, and he also had a bandage on the left side of his head, with a red and brown spot in the middle. His work shirt was torn in several places, and the left sleeve was completely gone. “I hate needles,” he muttered.

“It's Novocaine,” the nurse said. “It'll numb it for a while.”

Naoto approached the bed. He looked almost exactly the same as she remembered, except that he'd finally, after all these years, let his hair return to its natural dark brown. It was a little strange to see him without his gangster-style bleached blond hair. “Kanji-kun?”

Kanji turned to her, flinching as the needle penetrated his flesh. “Uh, do I know you?”

Naoto walked up to his side, trying not to wince as a single throb of pain lanced through in her head. “Kanji-kun, it's me, Naoto. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, um, just dislocated my shoulder. Sorry but you sure you got the right guy? Don't know any 'Naoto'.”

Naoto tilted her head. “What? You – you mean you don't remember me?”

Kanji shook his head. “You come to the shop before?”

“I was your g...” She stopped. “I  _ am  _ your friend. What happened?”

Kanji sighed. “Damn power pole blew up outside the shop. I heard people screaming and went outside to help, and something hit me like a ton of bricks. Next thing I know I'm in an ambulance on the way here with a frickin' headache and my arm all twisted up.”

“The paramedics said the explosion threw you against the wall of your shop,” the nurse said. “Actually, from what I've heard your injuries are among the most serious of anyone who was there or at Junes.”

“Junes?” Kanji asked.

“There was...something there,” Naoto said. “A storm of some kind. I was caught in the middle of it myself.”

“Well, you look good,” Kanji said. Naoto smiled and immediately saw his cheeks redden. He stammered, “Uh, I – I mean...damn. I mean you don't, you know, look like you got hurt too bad.”

“Just a headache,” Naoto said, her cheeks feeling a little warm. She turned to the nurse and gestured to his head bandage. “Could that hit to his head have caused some kind of memory loss?”

“He didn't have a concussion,” the nurse said, not looking away from the clipboard on which she was writing.

“Look, I gotta get outta here,” Kanji said sitting up. “I gotta go clean up the shop. I can't afford to be closed too long.”

“Tatsumi-san, you need to  _ stay put  _ until I'm finished,” the nurse said, pushing him back down onto the bed and eliciting a cry of pain from him. “If you're not careful you could do further damage to your shoulder.”

“Dammit!” Kanji said, bringing a hand to his shoulder. “Ya keep doing that and it'll fall the hell off!” He waved her off. “Look, you got a whole lotta people here who need your help. I'm fine. Just let me go, huh?”

“I'll go with him,” Naoto said. She pulled out her ID and showed it to the nurse. “I'm a consulting detective with the Inaba Police. I'll make sure he gets home without incident.”

“De – detective?” Kanji said, his eyes widening.

The nurse sighed and set one more strip of tape on the bandage. “Okay, fine, but you go to your family doctor first thing in the morning, all right?” After Kanji nodded, rolling his eyes, she ssighed, “I'll go get your paperwork.”

After the nurse left Kanji said, “Thanks. So what does a detective want with me? Been a long time since I've been harassed by the cops.”

Naoto offered her hand and Kanji took it, allowing her to help him sit up. “You really don't remember me, do you?”

Kanji shrugged with his unbound shoulder. “Nope.”

“We were friends before,” Naoto said. “Before your...your mother passed away.”

Kanji stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows falling. “Okay, look, thanks for getting me out of here, but I'm going home now.” He swung his legs to the other side of the bed and stood, stumbling and catching himself on the bed railing. Naoto rushed around and took his good arm, but he shook out of her grip and slid past her.

Naoto caught up with him. “I'm supposed to be making sure you get home all right.”

“Look, am I under arrest?”

Naoto sighed. “No, of course not.”

“Then you can't make me go with you. I know the drill, so quit following me,  _ Detective _ .” He burst through the double doors into the waiting room and pushed his way through the crowd toward the exit.

“Kanji, wait!” she called out, but it sent a spike of pain through her head and she clenched it with both hands. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing to her knees, but she still had enough presence of mind to know, if she did that, they'd probably strap her to a bed and put her on IVs. She needed to keep clear, and on her feet.

“Tatsumi-san, your paperwork!” he nurse shouted, running after Kanji and nearly knocking Naoto over.

Naoto managed to keep her footing, though just barely. She took a few breaths and the pain abated. She sighed and tilted her head back. Why didn't Kanji remember her? Had she meant that little to him? No, that couldn't be the case. She didn't care how much of a hermit he had become after his mother's death, he wouldn't have forgotten her so completely. Yet she saw no deception in him, and of everyone she'd known, Kanji was the least able to hide his own feelings. The only explanation was that Kanji genuinely did not remember her. But what could cause that? Despite what one usually saw on television, such specific amnesia didn't come from a simple blow to the head.

Her head felt better now, the pain reduced to a dull ache, and she decided her medication must have finally taken effect. She turned around and looked back over all the beds, and one in particular caught her eye. The person lying on it was in a police uniform, and standing over the bed, holding the person's hand, was the Junes assistant manager she'd met earlier.  _ Yosuke was his name,  _ she thought. She walked over to

She was surprised, pleasantly so, to see that it was Satonaka in the bed. At least now she knew where the Officer was, and from what Naoto could tell, she didn't seem much worse for wear. “Oh, hey,” Yosuke said. “You were at the store, right? I, uh, never got your name.”

“Detective Shirogane,” Naoto said, showing him her ID. “Uh, Naoto. How is she?”

“They said nothing's wrong with her,” Yosuke said. “Everything looks like she's just sleeping. They said a lot of people here are like that. They didn't get hurt, they just...fell asleep.”

Naoto nodded. “Officer Satonaka...”

“Chie,” Yosuke said. “Her name's Chie.”

“...Chie saved a child who'd passed out. The next thing I knew she was unconscious. I checked her for injuries and couldn't find any. Before I could help her, though, the same thing happened to me.”

“She looks so peaceful, though. You look like hell,” Yosuke said. “I mean, you know, no offense.”

Naoto smiled a little. “None taken. Migraine.”

Yosuke grimaced. “Heard those are bad.”

“I manage.” Naoto looked Chie over. “Have they tried to wake her?”

Yosuke shook his head. “They said it'd be best just to let her wake up on her own. Some of the others already did. I've been trying, you know, shaking her shoulders, uh...kissing her, all that, but none of it did anything.”

“You and Chie-san?”

“Engaged,” Yosuke said. He laughed. “She never wears the ring I gave her though. Says she might break it on some dude's face.”

“She's a good cop, from what I hear,” Naoto said.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. He squeezed Chie's hand. “She's the best. Probably don't tell her that enough.”

“How are things back at Junes?” Naoto asked.

“Actually better than they could've been,” Yosuke said. “A bunch of cars in the lot got messed up, and all the windows in the front were broken, but we've got cleanup crews working on it now. We should be able to open up tomorrow.”

Naoto nodded. “I know this may not be the best time, but I'd still like to take a look at your security videos as soon as possible.”

“Well, we already gave the cops a copy,” Yosuke said.

“I'm looking for...something else. Something they may not...”

Naoto was interrupted by a moan from the bed. They both looked down to see Chie stirring. “Chie?” Yosuke said, leaning close. “Chie, can you hear me?”

Chie moaned again and opened her eyes slowly. “Yos...” she started, the word ending in a breath.

“I'm here, Chie,” Yosuke said. He placed a hand on her forehead, which appeared a bit shiny with sweat. “C'mon, say something.”

“Y-Yosu...ke,” Chie said. “Your hand's...hot.”

Yosuke smiled and kissed her hand. “Damn, you scared me there.”

“What...happened?” she asked. The strength was returning to her voice.

“You passed out,” Yosuke said.

Chie opened her eyes wide. “I did  _ not _ ...” She was interrupted by a coughing fit.

“You were knocked out,” Naoto said, placing a hand on her arm. Chie turned to her. “So was I,” she continued. “It sounds like that's what happened to a lot of the people there.”

“Was anybody hurt?”

“None seriously, from what I've been told. But a lot of people just lost consciousness like we did.”

Chie tried to sit up but Yosuke tried to hold her down. “Hey, take it easy. You're in the hospital.”

“I'm fine,” Chie said. “I gotta get back to work.”

“You gotta  _ rest _ ,” Yosuke said

“Listen to him, Officer,” came a voice. They looked up to see Lieutenant Dojima approaching. “You've been through a lot today.”

“Sir,” Chie said, “I feel fine. I'm ready to make my report.”

“That can wait,” Dojima said. “From all the reports so far it was just a freak storm. There's not a whole lot of work to be done to justify you and the other officers having a relapse while on duty.”

“Other officers?” Chie asked. “How many?”

“Five, between the Shopping District and Junes,” Dojima said.

“Five?”

Dojima nodded. “Most were just knocked out like you were, though Akira broke his wrist and Inoue got a concussion.”

“Well, with two officers down you need me.” She swung her legs off the bed and stood, taking a second to steady her footing. “I'm fine, sir. If something happens I'll stand down.”

Dojima sighed. “You're too stubborn for your own good, you know that? Fine, but don't push yourself. I don't want to have three good cops out of commission.” He turned his attention to Naoto. “Detective, I didn't hear you were back in town. Why you here in the hospital?”

“I was at Junes when the... _ storm _ hit,” she said. “Whatever hit Officer Satonaka hit me too. I came to about fifteen minutes ago.”

Dojima nodded. “Are you all right? You look a little flushed.”

“Yes, sir, I'm fine. No injuries. Since you're here, though, I'd like to ask you a question. Actually, more of a favor.”

Dojima crossed his arms. “I suppose I can afford one of those, depending on what it is.”

“I've been noticing some – strange occurrences in town since I've been here. People behaving strangely, and, of course, the storm that just hit today. I'd like your blessing to conduct an investigation.”

“My 'blessing'?” Dojima said. “What exactly are you investigating? You're not expanding into meteorology now, are you?”

“It's just a feeling I have, sir, and I'd like to confirm or deny it. It could possibly be nothing.”  _ Not likely _ , she thought.

“So you're investigating nothing?” Dojima said. “Doesn't sound like a good use of your skills.”

“I just need to follow a few leads. I will share anything I find, and if nothing turns up I'll let it go.”

Dojima crossed his arms. “We can't pay you to run your own investigation. Even if you find something we won't be able to pay you retroactively.”

“I know,” Naoto said. “If I do indeed find anything, I will report it to you and consider my previous work  _ pro bono _ .”

“ _ Pro bono _ ?” Chie asked.

“Uh, I think it means she won't be charging for it,” Yosuke whispered.

“I  _ know _ what it means,” Chie growled back.

Naoto ignored the exchange. “I consider it a professional courtesy to request your department's permission before I begin.”

Dojima raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I'm willing to grant you some latitude. You've helped us out quite a bit in the past. But no warrants or arrests without my prior okay, understand?”

Naoto nodded. “Sir,” said Chie, “I'd like to assist Detective Shirogane.”

They all turned to her. “Uh, what?” Naoto said.

“Why?” Dojima said.

“She's got a good rep for her intuition. If she says something's up, I believe her. I want to help.”

“I thought you wanted back to work right away.”

“Well, there've been a lot of strange things going on lately, and I've been involved in some of them. I think I can help.”

Dojima turned to Naoto, who shrugged and then nodded. He sighed. “Fine, but you're officially on vacation as of right now. No uniform, no badge. One week, then you're back on duty. Understood?”

Chie nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Dojima nodded in return. “Well then, good luck Detective. Officer.” He walked away.

Naoto turned to Chie. “Why?”

“Because I don't want to sit at a desk for the next week or so, and I don't want to sit at home either.”

“So all you said about my intuition...”

“Yeah, uh, kinda BS. Sorry.”

Naoto frowned. She should be insulted, but she actually found it somewhat amusing. She didn't let her amusement show, though. “Well, I supposed I can't ask for much. When you're feeling well enough to get going...”

“Let's go. Security desk's got my side arm.”

“Uh, are you sure?” Yosuke said. “You don't wanna get some rest first?”

“Nah, I'm all pumped up,” Chie said, stretching her arms. “Besides, didn't I just wake up?”

Yosuke shook his head. “Same old Chie.”

The threesome left the emergency ward, trying to avoid contact with any nurses who might thrust paperwork at them, and made their way through the crowded waiting room to the security desk. “Wow,” Yosuke said. “Lotta people's families.”

“Yeah,” Chie said. “I really hope you're right and nobody got hurt really bad.”

“Yeah, I don't know what I would've done if...” Yosuke muttered under his breath.

“Huh? You say something?” Chie asked him.

“Me? Nope.”

The lone officer at the security desk was on the phone when they arrived. Naoto and Chie both flashed their IDs, and the guard held up a finger in a silent, “One moment please.” After about a minute he put his hand over the receiver's microphone and said, “Can I help you?”

“I'm an officer with the Inaba Police,” Chie said, showing her ID again. “You should have my side arm. Standard police issue Glock, serial number...um....” she pulled out a slip of paper from behind her ID card and read off the number written on it.

“I was told you would have my firearm and toolkit as well,” Naoto said. “I'm a private detective and registered gun owner. Ruger LCR with police standard jacketed hollow point ammunition in a leather case, the name 'Shirogane' engraved on the flap.”

The guard raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you've got the serial number memorized too.”

Naoto rattled it off. “Damn,” Yosuke said. “You sure know your gun.”

“Yeah,” Chie said. “Kinda jealous.”

“It was a gift from my grandfather when I came of age,” Naoto said. “He made me memorize everything about it before I was allowed to use it.”

The guard unlocked the safe below his desk and after a moment produced their handguns, setting them on the desk. He then separately produced Naoto's ammunition case and toolkit, and Chie's spare clips. He then sighed and started speaking in a bored monotone, “Your weapons have been unloaded and all ammunition returned to their magazines. Please put your weapons away immediately, please do not reload them until you are off hospital property, I'm assuming you both know the rules 'cause I don't feel like saying them all?” Chie and Naoto both nodded. “Then have a good day.”

As soon as the women's weapons were stowed they all pushed their way back through the waiting room and out the front door. With her gun and toolkit returned, even though her gun wasn't yet loaded, she finally felt secure. She missed her cap, though, and was glad she had a spare in her room at the Amagi Inn.

There was a chill in the air outside, a far cry from the early afternoon's moist heat. Naoto shivered a little, her body wanting nothing more than to curl up into bed and sleep off the tail end of her migraine. And yet that instinct was in a battle with her passion for investigation, which wanted to return to Junes and search for answers right away.

“Okay,” Chie said, sliding the clip into her gun with a click and then returning the weapon to her hip holster, “sure am glad to be the hell out of there.”

“Me too,” Yosuke said. “I mean, ya know, having you out of there. Hey, if you're just worrying about being bored for a week you could've just come worked at Junes. Not like we're gonna have a shortage of stuff to do now.”

“Oh really? So I'd go from being bored to  _ suicidally _ bored.” She clicked her tongue. “Yeah,  _ so _ much better.”

Yosuke sighed. “Sometimes you can be so cold. Hard to believe you can be so hot in be...”

“No!” Chie said, slapping a hand over his mouth.

“Stop!” Naoto said at that exact same moment. “I really don't want to hear anything about your personal lives, if you please.” Nor did she want to be reminded of the passion she and Kanji had once shared in happier times. She realized that memories of it had made her a little bitter.

“So, uh, Detective,” Chie said, chuckling nervously and clearing her throat, “where do we start?”

Naoto thought for a few seconds, finally deciding that having a fresh mind would be more productive than pushing her limits this night. “Home,” she said.

“Whose home?” Chie said.

“Yours and mine,” Naoto said.

“What?”

“It's late, and we've all been through a terrible ordeal. We'll need all our faculties if we're to find the answers I believe are before us.”

Chie put her fists to her waist. “I'm fine, I said. Never better!”

“Well I'm not,” Naoto said. “I need to get some rest before we start. We'll meet in the morning at the Junes food court, 0800.”

“Why there? Are you seriously investigating a wind storm?”

“Because that's...” She stopped. She wasn't yet ready for Satonaka to know everything about her investigation, and certainly not  _ whom _ she was investigating. “It's someplace we can easily get to. Besides, the first thing I want to see is the security video we didn't get a chance to see earlier.” She turned to Yosuke. “I'm assuming that's okay?”

Yosuke shrugged. “I guess so. You'll have to talk to whoever's there in the morning.”

“You won't be?” Chie asked.

Yosuke sighed. “Nope, gotta go back in tonight and help with the cleanup. The store's pretty trashed, but we're opening first thing in the morning, no matter what.”

Chie bit her lip. “Well, then I'll see you tomorrow, Detective.” She tugged on Yosuke's arm and they walked away into the night. After they had put some distance from Naoto she asked, “You seriously have to go back in after what just happened today?”

“I'm in charge,” Yosuke said.

“But I just got out of the hospital!” Chie said. “What if I need you to spend the night with me?”

Yosuke nearly tripped over his own feet. “D-do you?”

“W-well, no, not like...but c'mon you just work so many hours already, the only time I ever get to see you is dinner every couple of days. We were supposed to spend more time together this summer while you're on break from school.”

“We will, just a lot's happened today. Besides, you work a lot of hours too,” Yosuke said.

“Yeah, but I'm a cop.”

“Well, I'm a manager.”

“I deal with scum every day.”

“Sometimes I have to help clean the bathrooms.”

Chie laughed a little, and then sighed theatrically. “Fine, be that way. Just try not to be out too long, 'kay?” She kissed him on the cheek, and then reached up to the other side of his head with her hand. She gripped his earlobe between her fingernails and pinched briefly.

Yosuke cried out and stopped walking, trying to pull away from her. “Hey! Cut it out! That friggin' hurts!”

“Don't you ever embarrass me like that in front of another cop, understand?” She let go and he stumbled away, rubbing his ear. “It's okay when we're with our friends, but I don't come to your work and talk about your Mazinger-Z underwear.”

“Okay, okay!” Yosuke said. He looked at his hand. “Damn, I think I'm bleeding.”

“No you're not, I didn't pinch you that hard. Quit being a drama queen,” Chie said. “Just don't do it again, okay?”

“Okay!” Yosuke said. “God, that hurt almost as bad as one of your Critical Hits.”

“Well I can't do that if we're gonna have kids someday,” Chie said. “What're you looking at?” she said to someone walking past them who had been staring at the commotion. The man looked away and started walking away more quickly. “C'mon,” she said to Yosuke, gently. “Just take me home before you have to go back to work.”

Naoto had seen the entire ordeal, and her still-sensitive ears had picked up almost every word. She was surprised how tender Shirogane could be with her fiancé at one moment, and then so domineering and practically violent the next. It was as if she were fully capable of playing the “good cop/bad cop” routine by herself, and making it believable. The tenderness struck her most, because when on duty she was always “on”, always in her “tough cop” mode.

That was a lot like Naoto herself, actually, when she and Kanji were together. Although she had given up on hiding her gender, which thankfully included foregoing the cover-up bras that for years had uncomfortably restrained her breasts inside her men's-style outfits, her professional demeanor had remained cool, calculating, and logical. With Kanji, though, she had always been able to be open, never having to act as if her womanhood were anything but a blessing. She had even gone as far as to wear skirts and low-cut tops for him, albeit in private, and had managed to teach herself to be not quite so uncomfortable while wearing them. One time she'd even tried to do a striptease for him, but had to stop early on and help him staunch the nasty nosebleed that resulted.

The memory of that made her laugh, and then made her want to cry. Until this evening it had been three years since they'd last seen each other. Kanji had just shut down after his mother died, refusing to see her or even return her phone calls. When she left Inaba that time, it had been for the last time until a few days ago. Until a few days ago she had even turned down consulting job offers just to avoid returning and being near her former love. And now that she was here, had run into him purely by chance, he didn't remember her. Had she really meant that little to him?

Then it hit her. Was this the kind of thing that Seta was going through? Could he have been serious and not just deluded when he insisted to have been friends with those others? She tried to think back to her times with Kanji, the good times...

And drew a blank. She remembered having been with Kanji, she remembered their last days together and how good it felt to be with him, and then...nothing. It seemed as if an eraser had been swiped over that part of her life, and it made her feel even emptier than she had on the day she realized she and Kanji were through.

She felt a twinge in her neck. Her fingers and toes were still tingling, and now that she noticed it again she couldn't ignore it. Her head felt light, as if it could float off her neck if it weren't firmly attached. Her heart started to flutter and she had to breathe heavily for a moment, trying to force herself to calm down. As her heart slowed and her calm returned she thought,  _ what was I thinking about? _

_Souji Seta._ _This all has to have some connection to Seta._ She needed to get to the bottom of this, figure out what he had to do with all of it. It was no mistake that he had teamed up with Taro Namatame and had gotten into a knife fight with the Lieutenant's daughter at Junes. If Seta was the cause, she had to stop him. She just had to hope that Dojima wouldn't stop _her_ once it was eventually revealed that she was pursuing his nephew. Then again, if she proved that Seta _was_ responsible Dojima would have to recuse himself, or else she would go over his head.

A sense of euphoria washed over her as she had that thought, and it bothered her. The false sense of well-being she always got as her migraines subsided interfered with her thought process and her objectivity. It always made her follow her emotions and false paths, because it silenced the voice in her head that warned her when she was ignoring the obvious. She would be essentially useless until it abated, and needed to go sleep it off.

She knew she had made the right decision in delaying the investigation. Hopefully in the morning she'd be able to think straight. It was going to be another long day, and it would take all her guile to prevent Satonaka from prematurely finding out the center of her investigation was Souji Seta, the man with whom she'd had “forceful negotiations” the other night at Aiya.

She always worked alone, and couldn't figure out why she'd agreed to Satonaka's help. Maybe she was starting to slip, or maybe it was weakness of mind brought about by her migraine. Either way, she was going to have to watch herself almost as closely as she would the actual focus of her investigation. It would do Inaba little good if Naoto Shirogane, ace detective, allowed her objectivity to fail due to a simple unfortunate neurological condition.

_ I'm better than that, and I'll prove it. I'll find out what Seta is up to and I'll shut him down before anyone else gets hurt. _


	10. Lost

June 13, 2018

The phone on her nightstand started tweeting, shocking Chie out of her slumber.  _ God, who is it now? _ She blinked at the clock until the time was visible. 05:23. After waking up in the hospital she'd felt like she had a full night of sleep, and it had taken her until about three hours ago to get tired enough to nod off. Now she felt like she needed at least another eight hours. “Somebody better be dead,” she growled and snatched up the phone. “Satonaka.”

“ _ Chie?” _ It was Yosuke's voice, and he seemed out of breath.

“Yosuke?” she said, rubbing some sleep from the corner of her eye. “It's early. What's going on?”

“ _ I just got home. Teddie's not here.” _

She yawned. “Well, he's an adult. He can go out at five in the morning if he wants to.”

“ _ I think he ran away.” _

Chie sat up, willing herself into full consciousness. “Ran away?”

“ _ When I got up I saw a note taped to the TV.” _

“Well, what's it say?” Chie said, swinging her feet off the bed.

“ _ You're not gonna believe this,” _ Yosuke said. “ _ 'Yosuke, I had to see something for myself. That stranger we met knew something about me, something nobody else knows, and I had to find out if it was real or not. I saw him in a fight with that girl at the store. I'm sorry I lied. I might not be back for a while, but I promise I'll come back when I know for sure. Your eternal roommate, Teddie.'” _

“What stranger?” Chie asked. “Wait, does he mean that creepy guy from the diner? The one you said was bugging him at the store that day?” Chie was on her feet and immediately rummaging through her closet for a clean set of clothes. “You know, I remember Shirogane questioning one of the witnesses, and she described the gray guy pretty clearly. If Teddie saw him in a knife fight with someone...but why would he go after him?”

“ _ I dunno,” _ Yosuke said. “ _ Man, Chie, I mean, I guess I kinda thought you overreacted the other day, but now...what if he did something to Teddie? Teddie's so naïve and trusting...” _

“Don't worry,” Chie said, pulling her shirt over her head. She slipped on her boots, special combat shoes she'd gotten from Daidara that were lined with metal, and then reached further into her closet. She withdrew a small pistol and tucked it away into the small holster embedded in her right boot. “I'm on my way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She arrived at Yosuke's apartment to find him sitting at his dining table, cradling a half-empty beer in his hands. He was still in his work clothes, his hair in disarray and forehead shiny with stale sweat. As soon as she stepped inside he looked up. “Hey, sorry for waking you up.”

“Don't apologize,” Chie said. She sat down at the table and placed a hand on his arm. “Listen, tell me everything. Where's the note?'

Yosuke slid it over to her. She looked it over, but it took a few times for her to understand everything written on it. “Sheesh, his handwriting sucks.” She studied it. “It...doesn't look like he was under duress when he wrote it.”

“How can you tell?”

“Well...I can't. I just always wanted to say that.”

“Chie!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Chie said. She read the note again. “Well, I mean, if he left on his own like the note says, we can try to find him but we can't really make him come back. He's an adult, legally.”

“No he's not!” Yosuke said. “He's still like a kid!”

Chie stroked the back of his head. “As far as the law's concerned, he is.”

Yosuke pushed away from her. “So what, you're not going to help him?”

“I didn't say that! But I can't put out an APB or anything on him, at least not 'till he's been gone for a day. We'll have to go find him ourselves and try to get him to come back.”

“Now you're talking!” Yosuke said, shooting to his feet and knocking over the chair in which he'd been sitting. “Where do we start?”

“Well, he wanted to check out that creepy guy, right? And he's staying at the Inn, right? So we start there.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rise awoke slowly, not wanting to leave her dream behind. It had been such a nice one. She and Souji were starring together in a movie about a young couple living in the Garden of Eden, and it was being filmed in the Shadow World, the beautiful one, the one that had come after they defeated Izanami. Kon Satoshi was filming it, and while the experience felt like one of the animated movies on which she'd worked with him, it was live action.

At first it felt like any other movie set, but as filming went on she gradually lost sight of the director, the cameras, everything, and it became more and more like real life. Then they were truly living it, as if they were the characters in the movie but still themselves. She and Souji were together, away from all the worries of their separate worlds, their unified future filled with all the joy and contentedness of living in an eternal paradise. They were completely alone, the trees and the flowers and the birds their only company, and all that they needed. They were Adam and Eve in an Eden that stretched out to infinity.

And then at one point while they were walking together she'd gotten stuck in place. At first she'd thought she'd stepped in some kind of tar pit, but as tiny specks of black started crawling up her leg she realized it was a mass of Memflies. When she started sinking Souji tried to pull her out, but then a snake squirmed up his leg. Despite his thrashing it made its way up to his ear and began speaking to him in Yukiko's voice. “Let her go,” it said, “I'm the one you want to be with.” Rise tried to scream for him, but her voice wouldn't work. The more she pumped her legs and trying to free herself, the more quickly she sank.

Souji tore the snake off himself and flung it to the ground, crushing it underfoot. He then walked over to Rise just as her head was about to go under, and dipped a finger into the black pool. The Memflies dispersed, leaving her standing in an empty pit. He reached out to her and the ground rose under her feet, bringing her into his embrace. They then lifted off the ground, supported by their Personas, and flew away into the sky where there would be no snakes and no Memflies to separate them. It made her so happy she'd started crying. She only wept harder when he said, “All for you, Rise. All my love for you.”

She had awoken with tears streaming from her eyes, but they were so delicious that she couldn't help but cherish them. She let them flow, let her emotions flow, and found herself both laughing and crying at the same time. She cuddled with her pillow and purred, despite the roughness of the bed-and-breakfast's cheap sheets.

She lay there for a while longer, not caring how long it was, drifting between waking and sleeping, at times flying away with Souji and at others enjoying the warm darkness alone. As her well of raw emotion slowly dried up she felt herself returning fully to reality. Of course, she and Souji weren't together. Not at the moment, anyway. Yukiko wasn't some snake, she was their friend. Their  _ good _ friend. And of course, there were far more serious issues to deal with.

The bliss brought on by her dream all but gone, she had little else to do but get up. When she flipped on the light and examined herself in the mirror, she frowned. Her short, dyed hair was in disarray, and it almost made her look like a boy. The longer she kept this hairstyle, the less she liked it. At her first opportunity she would have it dyed back to her normal red, and would probably also get extensions so she could look like her old self again. Like the cheap accommodations, her hair was a part of her disguise that she was glad she wouldn't be stuck with for the rest of her life. She was just glad tattoos weren't a prerequisite of being a librarian.

She scooped up a bathrobe from the floor and wrapped it over herself, covering up her silk nightshirt. She rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a baggie containing shampoo, conditioner, and mouthwash. She'd need all three, for sure. She slid into a pair of slippers and left her room for the shared restroom.

She took a nice long, hot shower, and the permeating warmth gave her some fresh comfort that let her wallow a little more in the wonderful feelings her dream had left behind. Only a knock at the door, and a voice reminding her that other people needed the bathroom, brought her back to the present. Upon returning to her room and tossing aside the robe, she rummaged through the closet for her cutest summer outfit. According to the weather forecast it was to be a much more pleasant than the past few days had been, the oppressive heat giving way to a more mild, less humid warmth that was more characteristic of mid-June. She chose a short sleeve blouse with a skirt and wide belt, and finished the outfit off with her favorite pair of cork wedges.

She looked herself over in the mirror, as if posing for the camera. “Rise, you are  _ hot _ today,” she said. Between her rest and the emotional release of her dream, she had gained renewed strength that helped her come to a decision: she wasn't going to shy away from Souji. His pining after Yukiko wasn't healthy for him. They'd broken up a long time before all this memory stuff had started happening. She wasn't going to actively pull him away from his feelings for Yukiko, but she knew he had feelings for  _ her _ . They had been there in the kiss they shared, and that was something that could not be faked. She was going to win him over honestly, but there was no shame in displaying just how much of a hottie she was. If she could make a nation of men young and old fall in love with her, surely she could win the heart of the one man for whom she cared most of all.

She grinned at her reflection and pushed her breasts up just a little.  _ I'm not letting you get away so easily this time, Senpai. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trip to the Inn was short. Chie left the car at the front door and she and Yosuke ran inside to the front desk. “Good morning, how can I help you?” asked the clerk, bowing. “Oh, hello Satonaka-san. Hanamura-san.”

“Hi,” Chie said, bowing back. “We're looking for Souji Seta. We're told he has a room here.”

“Um, I don't know if I can give that information,” the clerk said. “I don't think Togashi-san has started work yet, but she might be able to help you.”

Chie pulled her badge out of her pocket and showed it to the clerk. “We're not asking as her friends. It's official police business.”

“Hey, didn't Dojima tell you not to...” Yosuke started.

“I'll  _ handle _ this, Yosuke,” Chie whispered to him.

“I know you're a police officer,” the clerk said, “but I can't just give out information like that. That's the same thing I told the detective that asked about him the other day. My shift's over in a few...”

“Whoa, wait. Detective?” Yosuke said.

“What detective?” Chie said.

“The one who's always on the news,” the clerk said. “Naoto Shirogane.”

Chie turned to Yosuke. “So  _ that's _ what she's been investigating.”

“But why not tell us?” Yosuke asked.

Another, younger woman approached the desk. “Excuse me, but my replacement's here,” the clerk said. “If there's nothing else, I need to get going so I can get my kids up for school.”

“Yeah, fine. Thanks for your help,” Chie said.

“Is everything okay?” the morning shift clerk asked. “You're Togashi-san's friends, right?”

“They're asking about he guy from room seventeen,” the night clerk muttered to her.

“Oh, him,” the morning clerk said. “I haven't seen him in a while. He tried to check out the other day.”

The night clerk shot her a look, and then said to Chie and Yosuke, “I'm sorry, I need to get going.” She bowed again. “Have a good one.”

As the night clerk walked away Yosuke said, “What do you mean he 'tried' to check out?”

“Well, he'd reserved his room for a week and prepaid. Because the Risette concert was canceled we lost a lot of reservations, and it's against Inn policy to refund pre-paids when the guest has already stayed at least one night.”

“Huh,” Chie said, “that's...kind of a crappy policy.”

“Chie...” Yosuke said, while the morning clerk looked away.

“Well,” the clerk said, “um, anyway, I think he was here yesterday. He asked Togashi-san about something he said he lost, and then left. I don't think he's been back since.”

“He talked to Yukiko?” Chie said. The clerk nodded, and Chie immediately whipped out her phone, pressing the top speed-dial button.

The line connected after a few seconds. “ _ Uh, hello?” _ Her voice was very breathy, and her words slurred.

“Yukiko, it's Chie. Did I wake you up?”

She heard a sigh. “ _ Yeah, but it's okay. What's up?” _

“Teddie's missing.”

“ _ What?” _

“We think it's got something...” Chie looked at the clerk, and then turned and walked away. Yosuke followed, and put his head close to the phone so he could hear.

“ _ Something what?” _

“We think it's got something to do with that Seta guy, the one with the gray hair. Did he talk to you yesterday?”

“ _ Well...yes. He said something about a...he lost something. A keychain. But it was weird. He said it was exactly like the one he showed me.” _

“That's all? A keychain?” Yosuke's disappointment echoed in a short whine. “Look, Teddie left a note that the Seta guy knew something, and that he had to check it out. That was sometime last night, and he hasn't been home since.”

“ _ Okay,”  _ Yukiko said. “ _ Let me get ready and I'll come meet you. Where are you now?” _

“Downstairs,” Chie said.

“ _ Oh!” _ Yukiko said. “ _ Well, then I'll be down in a few minutes.” _ The call ended.

Chie pressed the phone to her chin. “So he tried to check out, which could have meant he was leaving town, or he had somewhere else to stay. But he came back yesterday, so if he left town he didn't go far.”

“So where is he, then?” Yosuke said.

They were interrupted by Chie's cell phone ringtone. She answered, “Satonaka.”

“ _ Officer Satonaka, this is Detective Shirogane. I know it's early and I hope I didn't wake you, but I'm – planning an earlier start than we agreed upon yesterday. Would you be able to join me at Junes in about a half hour?” _

“Who is it?” Yosuke said. “Wait, it sounds like that detective person.”

Chie held up her hand. “Actually, I'm at the Amagi Inn right now. Our friend is missing and we're trying to find him.”

“ _ Oh, I'm – sorry to hear that,” _ Naoto said.

“It's got something to do with that gray-haired guy,” Yosuke said.

“Yosuke, will you stop?” Chie hissed.

“ _ Wait, did whoever that was say a 'gray-haired guy'?” _ Naoto asked.

Chie sighed. “Yeah, it's this creepy guy that came into town the other day. I guess he said something to our friend that made him want to go find him.”

“I think it's the same guy you were asking about at the Inn the other day,” Yosuke said. Chie shot him a dirty look. She really hated it when Yosuke tried to participate in her phone conversations.

There was a sound like a door closing. “ _ Wait one moment, please.” _ The call disconnected.

“What?” Chie checked her phone. “She just hung up on me.”

“That's rude,” Yosuke said.

“I'm sorry, but I figured it would be a waste of our batteries to speak on the phone when I'm right here.” They both turned to see Naoto approaching from around the corner. “So your friend left a note implicating the gray-haired man?”

Chie avoided asking the question she wanted, about Naoto staying in the same inn as the man she was supposedly investigating. For now, anyway. “Well, not really  _ implicating _ , but...” she started.

“Here it is,” Yosuke said, cutting her off. He handed the note to Naoto. “How's your head, by the way?”

Naoto still had the detached feeling her migraines often left behind, and though the pain was gone, the lingering macropsia and strange dreams had made it difficult for her to sleep much of the night. “Fine, thank you,” she said, scanning the note. “This is...pretty poor handwriting. No offense to your friend. He saw the fight at the store?”

“That's what he says,” Yosuke said. “I talked to him right after but he said he didn't see it, though. Now that I think of it, he seemed pretty freaked out. Next time I looked he was gone.”

“Gone,” Naoto said. “Just like Seta and Dojima.”

“Dojima?” Chie asked. “Lieutenant Dojima's gone too?”

Naoto shook her head. “No, his daughter Nanako. The stranger, Souji Seta, is his nephew and Nanako Dojima's cousin. He was staying with Dojima and his daughter, though they disappeared right before the windstorm that damaged Junes. Based on the witnesses' testimony I'm reasonably certain Seta and Nanako Dojima were the ones fighting at Junes, likely with a deadly weapon. They disappeared, but your friend may well have seen what happened to them.”

Chie nodded. “So you think they did something to him.”

“Those sons of bitches,” Yosuke said. “A cop's friggin' nephew. If they hurt him I swear to God I'm gonna kill them.”

“Hey, keep it down!” Yukiko ran up to them. “Guys, let's go into my office if you're going to be talking like that.”

“Forgive us, ma'am,” Naoto said, bowing her head. “We were about to leave.”

“No, Detective, it's okay,” Chie said. “Yukiko, this is Detective Naoto Shirogane. Detective, this is Yukiko Togashi, manager of the Amagi Inn.”

“Ah, well then,” Naoto said, bowing fully, “we met when I checked in, but it is a pleasure to meet you properly, Togashi-san.”

“Likewise, Shirogane-san.” Yukiko bowed. “Are you helping find Teddie?”

“Well, she's actually investigating...” Chie turned to Naoto. “What exactly  _ are _ you investigating?”

Naoto put her hands at her hips and looked down at the floor. She had wanted to keep this to herself for as long as possible, but if Seta had somehow put their friend in danger, she couldn't justify her secrecy anymore. Especially not if it could lead to something terrible happening to their friend. “Souji Seta, your 'gray-haired stranger'. I believe he has some connection to some strange occurrences in town over the past week. I had been tailing him until I lost him at Junes yesterday, just before the wind storm. Neither he nor the Dojima girl were taken to the hospital with us last night. I suspect now that your friend's disappearance is directly related to theirs.”

“Wait, hospital? Why were you at the hospital?” Yukiko said, turning to Chie. “Did you get hurt?”

“Well...” Chie said, flashing an angry look at Naoto, “uh, not really. I mean, I got knocked out, but I was okay, really.”

Yukiko got in Chie's face. “Why didn't you tell me? Oh my God, Chie!” She gripped Chie in a fierce hug.

Chie gasped as Yukiko squeezed almost all the air out of her lungs. “Well, because we...knew you'd...worry.”

“Of  _ course _ I'd worry! You're my best friend, you bet I'd worry!”

“Uh, guys,” Yosuke said, noticing the clerk and a few guests staring at them. “You're kinda drawing a crowd.”

“May I suggest we continue this in a more private location?” Naoto said. “Perhaps your office, as you offered?”

“No, it's okay,” Yukiko said, separating from Chie. “But we should get moving. I'm coming with you.” She turned to the clerk. “Reiko-kun, I'm going to be out for a little while. I need you to please call in Keiichi-san early. If he needs me I'll have my phone with me.”

The clerk bowed her head. “I'll call him right now, Togashi-sama.”

“Oh, one more thing,” she said, approaching the counter. In a whisper she said, “Don't share this with anyone else for now, but if you see Souji Seta I need you to call me on my cell immediately, okay?”

The clerk nodded. “Yes, ma'am.”

Yukiko nodded back and ushered the others away from the desk. When she was sure they were out of earshot she said, “Detective, Teddie's like a little kid most of the time. If you think Seta's dangerous then Teddie could be in trouble. Where should we start?”

“I suggest we start within Teddie's comfort zone,” Naoto said. “Aside from Junes and his home, where did he most like to go?”

“Well, the Shopping District, I guess,” Yosuke said. “Not much else to do in town.”

“Then let's start there,” Chie said, pulling her keys out of her jacket pocket. “I'm driving.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji awoke to the sound of his cell phone ringing. “Hello?”

“ _ Souji, this is your uncle. You probably guessed but I didn't come home last night. Sorry about that, but I'm sure you heard about what's going on.” _

“Did I?” Souji asked, yawning.

“ _ The storm,” _ Ryotaro said. “ _ You didn't hear anything about what happened at Junes?” _

“Huh? Oh yeah, of course I did,” Souji said, rubbing his eyes. “Sorry, I was just up working really late last night.”

“ _ Oh. Well anyway, we had some officers injured in the storm, so I've had to help pick up the slack. I wanted to let you know I won't be home until tonight. Nanako...” _ There was a pause. “ _ She's supposed to go to school on her own, but I know she's been cutting lately. She's not your responsibility, before you ask. But maybe you could...no, never mind. Sorry, it's been a long night. I expect to be back this evening, though I probably won't be much good company.” _

“I can have some dinner ready for you,” Souji said. “Something that reheats well, in case you don't get in 'till late.”

“ _ That's not...necessary,” _ Ryotaro said, though his tone clearly indicated that he wouldn't mind it at all.

“Consider it my payment for room and board,” Souji said. “I don't mind, really.”

Ryotaro laughed. “ _ Well, when you put it that way I suppose it'd be insulting for me to refuse.” _

Maybe Souji's head was still fuzzy from having just woken up, but that statement seemed kind of strange to him. Still, his uncle was in the grip of the Memflies, if their theory was correct, so a little strange behavior would be par for the course “Anything you like in particular?”

“ _ Nah, just make something easy. I'll give you a call later once I know what I'll be doing.” _ The call disconnected.

Souji set the phone down and looked at the clock. It was getting close to 8, and his stomach felt noticeably empty. He figured he might as well get up and do something constructive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trip from the Inn to the Shopping District had taken only a few minutes. Chie's subcompact wasn't really designed to transport four adults comfortably, but Yukiko was able to squeeze in behind the driver's seat and Naoto, the shortest of the group, fit behind Yosuke. While they had arrived at the normal opening time for most of the shops, they found that power was still out for most of the neighborhood, and quite a few shops were delaying opening because of it. That made this leg of the investigation all the more lengthy and made them all, Chie and Yosuke in particular, more anxious and agitated. They worked their way slowly north, and while most of the shop workers knew of Teddie, none recalled having seen him the previous day.

As they neared the Shrine they saw an electric company crane lifting a transformer onto a power pole. The pole itself, and the textile shop next to it, had scorch marks from when the old transformer had, according to the news reports, exploded into flame. The sidewalk in front of the Shrine was cordoned off, so they had to walk in the street around the crane. “Wow,” Yukiko said, pointing upward. “I heard about the storm on the news, but I never had the time to actually come down here. Look at the charring on that building.”

“Yeah,” Chie said, he hands at her hips. “I still can't believe nobody was seriously hurt.”

“Junes was worse,” Yosuke said. He was squinting against the harsh morning sunlight, his eyes burning from lack of sleep. “No fire, but those cars were real messed up. Can't believe we managed to get cleaned up enough to open this morning.” He stumbled briefly as the toes of one foot scuffed the ground, but quickly righted himself.

“Hey, you okay?” Chie said, putting a hand on his leg. “You look like you're about to pass out.”

Yosuke forced his eyes open wide. “Yeah, fine. Just thinking about what I'm gonna do to that son of a bitch if he hurts Teddie.”

Chie offered a small smile. “You're gonna have help from me, if he did anything to Teddie.”

“Let's not jump to conclusions,” Naoto said. “We don't yet know for sure if your friend actually  _ found  _ Seta. We should keep moving if we're going to find out.”

Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko started toward the textile shop, but Naoto held her ground, staring into the Shrine. Yukiko noticed first and said, “Naoto-san, you okay?”

“Yes, I just...I'm going to reconnoiter out here for a few minutes first. Please, go ahead without me.” She headed toward the entrance to the Shrine, making a point of looking away from the textile shop.

Chie shrugged. “You know, she's kinda weird. She actually think this Seta guy had anything to do with a wind storm?”

“Who the hell knows?” Yosuke said. “Right now I don't really care, as long as we find him.”

Yukiko turned to Yosuke. “You sure you're all right? You sound angry.”

“My roommate just ran away,” Yosuke said, crossing his arms.

“But you don't sound worried, just...pissed.”

“He's fine,” Chie said quickly.

Yukiko turned to Chie, then back to Yosuke. Both of them seemed agitated, a lot more so than she thought they should be. Still, while she wasn't as close to Teddie as they were, she thought maybe she'd be as angry as they were if Chie were the one missing.

“C'mon, time's a-wasting,” Yosuke said, beckoning them to follow him to the textile shop.

Kanji Tatsumi, his left arm still bound to his chest and a bandage on his forehead just above the old scar at his temple, was in the awkward the process of unlocking the front door single-handedly. When he saw them he said, “Oh, hey, Togashi-san. Sorry for opening so late, but they're just bringin' the power back up now. Here to pick up your order?”

“No, not right now,” Yukiko said, staring at his bandaged arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just hurt it a little when the power pole blew yesterday.”

Yukiko winced sympathetically. “I'm glad you weren't hurt too badly, and that the shop wasn't either.”

Kanji nodded. “Me too. I'd need that like a hole in the head.” He pointed to the bandage on his forehead. “Almost got one of those too.”

“Tatsumi-san,” Chie said, interrupting the pleasantries, “have you seen a young man lately, kind of short, with blond hair and blue eyes?”

“Actually, yeah. Teddie. He comes here a lot, likes the stuffed toys.” He gestured to the toys in the window as he headed toward the counter.

“So  _ this  _ is where he gets them,” Yosuke said. He examined them and was amazed at the detail. He picked up a particularly intricate orange-and-black strapped tabby cat and felt the sturdy construction. Maybe, when he and Chie had kids... “Damn, these are good. Where do ya get 'em?”

“I, uh, make 'em,” Kanji said, sitting at the register and tapping a few keys.

“ _ You _ make them?” Yosuke said, putting the toy down as if the cat had just coughed up a hairball on him. He scoffed. “Man, that's totally g-gah!” He reeled as Chie slugged him in the ribs.

Kanji scowled and withdrew his hand from the register. “You don't like it, you can bite me.” He then turned back to Yukiko with a calmer expression. “Uh, sorry, Togashi-san. Your friend was all up and down the Shopping District yesterday. Asking about some guy with gray hair.”

“All up and down...but they all said they didn't see him,” Chie said. “Are you sure?”

“Have you seen that person? The one with the gray hair?”

Kanji glanced past them to see that Naoto had just entered the shop. “Oh, it's you,” he said.

“Kan...Tatsumi-san,” Naoto said, “please, we need your help. Have you seen anyone that might match the description of the man Teddie was searching for?”

Kanji shrugged and shook his head. “Nope. I figured it was a boyfriend or something.”

“What?” Yosuke said, sputtering. “B-boyfriend?”

“Well,” Kanji shrugged with his one good shoulder, “you know, he always said things like 'my sensei's so cool' and 'he's my best guy' and all that. I think it was Yose or something. That the gray guy you mean?”

“What the hell makes you think it's a  _ boyfriend _ ?” Yosuke asked, a little too loudly for anyone's tastes.

“Yosuke, will you calm down?” Chie said.

“Uh, well, you know, Teddie was always well-dressed, and he...I guess...kinda flirted with me sometimes.”

“What?” Yosuke said.

Yukiko snorted. They all turned to her and saw her shaking, one hand covering her mouth and the other arm across her stomach. “Sorry, I c-can just p-picture...Teddie flirting...with a tough guy like you...!” She started laughing hysterically. Naoto stepped over to her but, still laughing, Yukiko held up a hand.

Chie sighed. “Just let her go, Detective. She'll work it out of her system in a few. And you,” she said, turning to Yosuke, “will you stop getting all riled up?” She turned to Kanji. “Listen, did he say anything about why he was looking for that guy, or where he was going?”

“Nope, sorry” Kanji said, still watching Yukiko as she clutched her stomach with both arms, laughing even more loudly. “Um, you sure she's gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, she just gets like that sometimes,” Chie said. She took Yosuke's arm in one hand and Yukiko's in the other. “C'mon, guys, we're done here.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Naoto said.

“Y-yes, thank you,” Yukiko managed through her peals. “S-someone will b-be back...ha ha ha...to p-p-pick up our...stuff...”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Kanji said. “Listen, I, uh, hope you find your friend. He seems like a nice kid.”

“Thanks,” Yosuke said, glumly, as he stalked out of the shop. Chie followed close behind, leading the still-laughing Yukiko. Naoto lingered behind for a moment.

“Can I help you,  _ Detective _ ?” Kanji said, tapping at the cash register's keys again.

“How is your arm?” Naoto asked. “And your head?”

“Fine on both,” Kanji said, not looking up at her.

Naoto nodded. She and Kanji stared at each other for a moment longer. “Well, I'm glad to hear it. If, ah...if there's anything I can do to help...” She reached into her jacket. Kanji snapped his gaze up and leaned back, but calmed visibly when her hand emerged holding only a business card. She handed it to him, and he accepted it. “...please, don't hesitate to call. Even if you just need someone to help you in the stock room until your shoulder heals.”

Kanji chuckled. “Well, I got all the help I can afford...”

“I wouldn't accept payment,” Naoto said. “Just...helping a valuable member of the Inaba community.”

Kanji furrowed his brows. “'Valuable member'. Huh. Just what are you trying to get at?”

Naoto shook her head. “Nothing. Thanks again for your help. Good day.” She left the store to join everyone standing outside.

“Well that was totally worthless,” Yosuke said, his hands at his hips and his head hanging.

“What?” Chie said. “We just found out he was here, and that the creepy guy wasn't. That's helpful.”

“ _ How _ does that help us, though?” Yukiko asked, her laughter having finally abated.

“I – I don't know,” Chie said.

“His name is Souji Seta, by the way,” Naoto said. “It would be more constructive to refer to him by name, rather than as 'that creepy gray-haired guy'.”

Chie rolled her eyes. “Fine. So we know Teddie was looking for that Seta guy, which is basically what his letter said. So what?”

“So we look for Seta-san,” Yukiko said. “Teddie's lived here for a while, so a lot of folks know him. Probably nobody knows Seta-san, so anyone we talk to that remembers him would've only seen him the past couple days.”

“Well, wait a second,” Yosuke said. “Detective, didn't you say he was staying with his uncle, the police guy?”

“Yeah, that's right,” Chie replied before Naoto had the chance. “So we just gotta talk to the Lieutenant about this, and maybe he'll help us.”

Naoto shook her head. “No, we can't involve Lieutenant Dojima just yet,” Naoto said. “If we go to him without sufficient evidence to back up our claims, he'll most likely shut us down and make it that much harder to find your friend.”

Chie said, “So then we find out where the Lieutenant lives and go check his place out. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.”

Yosuke turned to Chie. “Chie, you serious? You think he won't know if we go to his house and threaten his nephew?”

Chie shrugged. “Finding Teddie's my first priority. I'll worry about pissing off the Lieutenant once he's safe.”

“Can you get his address from the station, Chie?” Yukiko asked.

“I could, but I'm on 'vacation'. That means I don't go into the station unless I need to get my gym shorts.”

“You keep your gym shorts at the station?” Yosuke said. “How often do you wash 'em?”

“About as often as you shower, a least once a month.” She glared at him for a second, but then winked.

“I swear, you two,” Yukiko said, shaking her head. “We could look it up on the Internet, if we can find somewhere around here where it's working.”

“There's still an outage across this entire region,” Naoto said. “Even cell providers can't get their connections to work.”  _ Which is another strange occurrence that coincidentally started when Seta arrived _ , she thought.

“So we ask around,” Yosuke said.

“Sure,” Chie said. “'Excuse me, can you tell us where Police Lieutenant Ryotaro Dojima lives? Why do we want to know? Because we need to shake down his nephew.' Yeah, that'll go over  _ real _ good.”

Yosuke looked away. “Well, we wouldn't tell them  _ that _ .” He cracked his knuckles. “Though that might be what we've gotta do.”

“He works for a government entity, so his address is public record,” Naoto said, eyeing Yosuke suspiciously. “We may be able to find it in hard copy at the library.”

“Well, let's quit standing here and go,” Yukiko said. “Teddie's only getting more lost the longer we wait.”

“I'll get it out of him even if I have to smash his face in,” Yosuke said.

“You'll have to take a number,” Chie said. She started hopping side to side, as if preparing to kick. “I'll kick his head off.”

“Hold on a moment you two,” Naoto said, taking both their arms. “A moment ago we said we were going to be speaking with Seta. Now you're both advocating violence. That's not how you investigate. You of all people should know that, Officer.”

“Oh, I'm just talking shit,” Chie said. “I promise there'll still be enough of him to ask questions to once I'm done.”

“Not if I get at him first,” Yosuke said.

“No,” Naoto said. “Perhaps it's better if I continue on alone. You are both obviously too emotionally involved to look at this objectively.”

“What? No!” Yosuke said. “No way you're locking us out now!”

“Wait, Yosuke, she's right,” Chie said.

“What?”

“We gotta calm down.” She stopped her combat dance and took a few deep breaths. “We'll be fine, Detective, I promise.”

“Are you sure, Chie?” Yukiko asked. “You still sound really upset.”

“I know, but I'm trained for this.” She took a few more deep breaths. “I'm gonna detach and look at it objectively. I'm sorry, I just got a little overexcited.” She turned to Naoto. “Okay?”

Naoto raised an eyebrow, but then turned to Yosuke. “And you, Hanamura-san?”

Yosuke sighed. “Yeah, I'll be fine. Just got worked up there for a bit.”

Naoto wasn't sure she believed them, despite Chie's swearing on her police training. However, they could just as easily go find Dojima's address on their own now that they knew he was staying there. Again she kicked herself internally for giving away so much information to parties she wasn't sure she could trust. Now it would be best if she kept them with her, if only to keep an eye on them. She truly regretted agreeing to Chie's assistance. “If you can both keep your composure, then that gives us the greatest likelihood of finding your friend.”

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” Yosuke said.

“We'll stay frosty,” Chie said.

“Me too,” Yukiko said.

Naoto looked them over for a moment. She still wasn't convinced, but it was too late for doubts now. “Very well then, we should be on our way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ Freed: _ _   
_ _ Taro Namatame - Memories of Mayumi Yamano _ _   
_ _ Rise Kujikawa- Photograph _ _   
_ _ Nanako Dojima - Confronted her Shadow _

Souji looked over the list. One thing his Engineering classes taught him was that it was best to write out your thoughts and ideas in an orderly manner so they don't get lost with everything else in your head. “Photograph,” he muttered. “Photograph.” He took a sip of his coffee, and then set it down next to the empty plate that held the remnant crumbs from his breakfast of toast and eggs. He crossed out “Photograph” and replaced it with “Memories of Souji.”

He leaned on his hand. Maybe it sounded a little egotistical, but it was the truth, really. Rise had told him herself. The thought made him smile. His sleep that night had been deep, but there had been some dreams. At least one of them involved him and Rise living together on a yacht near some tropical isle. Not that he thought she  _ owned _ a yacht, nor that such a thing would be a reason for him to want to be with her, but he had to admit that being with Rise would have its advantages.

_ You're such a shallow ass _ , he thought, sucking down another mouthful of his cooling coffee. That brought him out of his daydream. He glanced over his paper and flipped it over, starting a new list on the back.

_ Memory Loss: _ _   
_ _ Memflies _ _   
_ _ -What are they? _ _   
_ _ -Why are they in the Shadow World? _ _   
_ _ -Why did they attack Rise? _

_ Shadows _ _   
_ _ -What was controlling Nanako's Shadow? _ _   
_ _ -How much was her Shadow and how much was the thing controlling it? _

_ What hasn't worked? _ _   
_ _ -Meeting Souji: _ _   
_ _ \---Yukiko Amagi/Togashi _ _   
_ _ \---Yosuke Hanamura _ _   
_ _ \---Teddie _ _   
_ _ \---Chie Satonaka _ _   
_ _ \---Naoto Shirogane _ _   
_ _ \---Ryotaro Dojima _

He paused as he remembered Ryotaro's call from earlier, and about the injured police officers. He had only been able to sleep when he saw the news story confirming what the police had told them earlier, that there were no serious injuries at either the shrine or Junes despite the massive property damage. Despite the lingering worry, it had made him start to believe that, just maybe, the gods were watching over them after all. Perhaps his faith wasn't as far gone as he'd started to believe.

Dojima's being away was actually a further relief, as it had allowed Souji to go to sleep early and let him revisit their next conversation, the  _ big _ one, with a clearer mind. Now, that he knew he'd probably have some more time to mull it over, though, he found himself most able to focus on the task of quantifying their discoveries so far.

He looked down at the brainstorming list.  _ What else didn't work? _ He started scribbling more notes:

_ -Showing them things they gave me: _ _   
_ _ \---Yukiko _ _   
_ _ \---Worked with Rise - try someone else? _

_ -Talking about the Shadow World: _ _   
_ _ \---Yosuke _ _   
_ _ \---Teddie _

_ What happens when memories come back? _ _   
_ _ -Something like a panic attack _ _   
_ _ -Deep breath _ _   
_ _ -Black smoke comes out of the head (mouth, eyes, etc.) _ _   
_ _ -Panting _ _   
_ _ -Note: This only happened twice so far, not with Nanako _

_ What are Memflies? _ _   
_ _ -The fog? _ _   
_ _ -Izanami's revenge? _ _   
_ _ -Shadows in a different form? _ _   
_ _ -Something to do with the green light at the reverse shrine? _ _   
_ __ -???

He put the pencil down again and rubbed his eyes.  _ What else?  _ The Memflies could be anything, really. They didn't really have much information except what they'd seen, and he knew that looks can be deceiving. He sighed and picked up the pencil, getting ready to start listing other gods or goddesses that could have something to do with this when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the display, and then picked it up. “Hi, Rise-chan,” he said.

“ _ Hey, Senpai. How you feeling this morning?” _

“Okay,” Souji said. “You?”

“ _ I'm good. Actually, great. I had a really good sleep.” _

“That's good to hear,” Souji said. He took a sip of his lukewarm coffee. “So when do you want to meet?”

There was a knock at the door. “Hang on a sec.” He got up and went to the door. As he opened it he started in surprise.

“How's now sound?” Rise said, closing her phone.

“H-hi,” Souji said, staring. She had a couple grocery bags in one hand. “Um...sorry, I just wasn't expecting you so early.”

“Surprise,” she said with a smile. “You gonna invite me in?”

“Uh, yeah, of course.” He stepped aside and let her in. “Um, what do you have there?”

“Just some stuff.” She handed him the bags and kicked off her shoes, losing about eight centimeters of height as she did so. She pulled off her disguise glasses and hooked them onto her belt. “How's Nanako-chan?”

“Still asleep,” Souji said, setting the bags on the kitchen table. “Ryotaro-san never came back last night. Too busy with, well, you know. Did you see the news, by the way? Nobody seriously hurt. The worst was one guy who hit his head and hurt his shoulder, they said.”

“Yeah, I heard,” Rise said, walking toward the living room. She stretched her arms above her head and squeaked . The taut muscles in her upper back, visible over her low-cut top, caught Souji's eye. He did his best to look away, and only partially succeeded. “I almost kissed the TV when they said that. Of course, I'dve been kissing air in the Shadow World, huh?”

“I suppose kisses go over just like everything else does,” Souji said, and could have kicked himself as soon as the words came out. That was the lamest thing he'd said in some time, and that was saying a lot. As Rise turned to him with a smile on her face he said, “So, uh, I've just been doing some thinking about everything we've seen so far, trying to find links. Doing some brainstorming.” He gestured to the lined yellow paper on the living room table.

“Oh, I see.” Rise padded over to the table and picked up the list.

“Uh, that's not really ready for everyone, it's just a bunch of notes.” He walked over and tried to reach for it but Rise pulled it away.

“Let's see, black smoke? That came out of  _ me _ ? Ewww...” She scanned the page and then flipped it over. She raised her eyebrows. “'Memories of Souji?'” She glanced at him. “You really think that's what it was?”

“Uh, well...I mean, the picture, and what you said...”

“I'm just kidding,” she said. “Of course they were memories of you, silly.” She sighed and dropped the paper onto the table. “Sorry, I shouldn't joke about something like that. We should all get together, though, and discuss all this. When's Taro-san available?”

“He went back to work today,” Souji said. “I called him earlier. He can't really meet at lunch because they're having a noon meeting, so it'll be sometime after he gets off at seventeen hundred.”

“Oh, well, we can talk about it you and me, can't we? Or...maybe we can do something else together in the meantime?”

Souji tilted his head. “Something like...what?”

She stepped closer to him. “Something like...lunch.”

“Lunch?” He glanced at the clock. “But it's early. I just barely had breakfast.”

“Well, take a look in the bags.”

Souji looked back over at the bags on the table, and the first thing he noticed was the Junes logo on the front. “Wait, you went to Junes? After what happened yesterday?”

“Of course, why not? Where else was I gonna get a cookbook and all the right ingredients in the same place?”

“But...they're open today?”

“Yeah, and they did a pretty good job of cleaning up, too. Part of the lot was closed off while they fixed a light pole that got messed up, but that's about it.”

Souji shook his head. “You really are something else.”

She winked. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

He cleared his throat and checked inside the bags. There was a tub of sour cream, a white paper package marked “beef tenderloin”, mushrooms, and various prepackaged spices. In the other bag were a package of dried egg noodles and a cookbook called  _ Entrees of Home and Abroad _ .

“I picked up the book first, and picked the first recipe I opened it up to. Beef something-or-other, it sounds European or something. I dogeared the page.”

Souji set the bags back down and pulled out the cookbook. He flipped the pages until the dogeared page appeared. The top of the page had a red bar with “Russia” in white lettering. “Beef Sh...” he started. “Shash...lyk. That's, um...interesting.” He looked over the page. “I don't see sour cream in the ingredients.”

“What?” Rise asked, rushing over to him. She snatched the book out of his hands. “No, not that one, the next page.” She flipped it over and handed it to him. “Beef storganuv.”

Souji nodded. “Stroganoff.  _ That _ one I recognize. Actually made it before, I think.”

“Perfect! That means you can teach me to cook it!”

Souji turned to her. “T-teach you?” Images of Mystery Food X and surface-of-the-Sun-hot omelets flashed through his head.

“Oh, you don't have a choice. I'm going to  _ make _ you teach me,” she said. To Souji's surprised look she lowered her head and said, “I mean, I've tried to cook a lot, and I didn't think it was too bad, but, well, nobody really liked it too much. I even cooked for my manager once, and he sucks up to me all the time, but that time he ran out screaming for water and begged me never to cook again.” She sighed. “But  _ you _ – everything you cooked was just so fantastic. I've eaten at five-star restaurants that weren't as good as some of your cooking.”

Souji shook his head. “Oh, come on now.”

“No, really!” Rise said. Souji held up a finger to his lips. Rise glanced toward the stairs, and then smiled sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said, more quietly. “But I'm serious, you're really a good cook. I was hoping you'd teach me a few things, and maybe I could get better.”

“Well, uh...I'm flattered that you'd think so, but I'm not really much of a teacher. Besides, it's not like what you made was bad, just really, um, spicy. Really,  _ really _ spicy.”

Rise hung her head. “It must've been bad if you remembered it like _ that  _ after all these years. But anyway, every time you cooked something it was just so amazing. I was just hoping that, you know, since you're such a good cook, and I'm so...not a good cook, that you might maybe teach me to be a better cook.” She looked down and started scraping her toes against the kitchen floor. “You know, if you  _ want _ to.”

“I-I just have a lot of practice,” Souji said. “I've cooked plenty of things that were totally disgusting.”

“Well then it's a good thing you know how to cook this storgan thing. We'll make a lunch for Nanako-chan she'll really like. C'mon, Senpai, please?” She stepped closer to him. “Pretty please?”

Having her so close to him felt electrifying, and before he even knew his mouth was moving he had agreed.

Rise squealed with excitement, but Souji held up his hands. “Oh, sorry,” she said, covering her mouth. “I'm just so excited. You're gonna teach me how to be a good cook. I can't  _ wait _ .”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanako awoke to a delicious smell and the sun pouring through her half-open curtains. She took a moment to open her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the brightness, and when she could see well enough she glanced at the clock. It was getting close to eleven.

If that were right, she'd been sleeping for around fifteen hours. Her sleep was dreamless and had left her with no sense of the passage of time, almost as if she'd closed her eyes and then immediately opened them. That disoriented her. She remembered Souji telling her once that some people who'd faced their own Shadows had taken weeks to recover, while others had recovered by the next afternoon. She wished her clock had the date on it. Then again, if she'd slept for days instead of hours, wouldn't they have taken her to the hospital?

She shuddered. She'd always hated hospitals, and that stigma had only gotten worse after her extended stay all those years ago. The time she'd almost died. The time she actually  _ was _ dead for a few minutes, from what she'd been told.

She shook her head. This wasn't the time to dwell on the past. It was a new day, and whatever had clouded her mind was gone. She was free now, and she was at home in her own room, in her own mind. She sat up, surprised at how strengthened she felt despite the long slumber, though her skin felt a bit icky. As she stepped out of bed she realized she was still wearing the same heavy clothes that her Shadow had compelled her to wear. She still wasn't sure where she'd gotten them, but they were the most hideous things she'd ever seen. She remembered some girls at school who dressed like this, and they were usually the ones who skipped class to smoke behind the Practice Building. While her Shadow and the thing behind it had convinced her that skipping school the past couple days had been a good idea, they had thankfully not gotten her into smoking.

Underneath the clothes her skin felt totally gross. She remembered that the previous day had been quite a scorcher and she'd spend much of it sweating under a hot sun, stalking Souji, Rise, and Namatame. She was amazed she wasn't sick with dehydration, but aside from the need for a shower she felt perfectly fine.

She stripped out of the goth outfit and tossed it onto her trash can, the massive jeans draping over and almost completely obscuring it. She opened her dresser and, after quickly changing her underwear, pulled out a T-shirt and shorts. She grimaced at the ugly, chipped black polish on her finger and toenails. She'd have to remember to clean all that off later. For now she pulled on a pair of white socks and stepped out of her room for what felt like the first time in days.

She could hear the boiling and sizzling downstairs, the metallic tapping of cooking utensils against cookware, and quiet voices chatting. She toyed with the idea of sneaking past whomever it was and getting in the shower, but that would be rude. She'd spend far too much of her time being rude recently, and was embarrassed by the memories of it. She tiptoed down the stairs to see Souji and Rise together in the kitchen, and from the sound of their conversation he was giving her some cooking pointers. This lesson seemed to be the fine art of spice moderation. She smiled. That was one area in which she remembered Rise definitely needed help.

“Are you sure?” Rise said. “I mean, won't it be too bland?”

“It won't, trust me,” Souji said. “Besides, remember the number one rule of spices.”

Rise sighed. “Right, right: 'It's always easier to add more later than to try to take it back out.'”

Rise was stirring the spices into a steaming pot, and Souji reached around her and took the hand holding that spoon. “Try different stirring patterns. Do circles one direction for a while, then go back the other way. Then do zigzags, and any other patterns you can think of. It helps keep everything mixed up evenly and stops it from burning to the bottom of the pan. Plus, it makes stirring a little less boring.”

Rise looked up at Souji and Nanako could see she was smiling. They looked so cute together. Could they actually be  _ together  _ together? She'd felt so bad for her Big Bro when he and Yukiko broke up. His friends had been hers, despite their age difference, and she'd kept contact with them in the years since he'd moved away. While she knew the breakup had been hard on Yukiko too, she'd done her best to honor Souji's feelings and limit her contact with his ex. She remembered Rise always trying to be close to Souji, and once Nanako had grown up a little she'd figured out Rise was flirting with him on a massive scale. She smiled.  _ So maybe Big Bro finally got the hint.  _ She brought her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat theatrically.

They both turned to her. “Nanako-chan!” Rise said. Souji withdrew his arm from around Rise and they both ran over to her.

“How you feeling?” Souji asked.

“Like I slept way too long,” Nanako said, stretching her arms. “What day is it?”

“Wednesday,” Rise said.

“The twentieth,” Souji added. “You slept all week.”

Nanako gasped, but Rise slapped Souji on the arm. “You're terrible, Senpai!”

Souji grinned even as he rubbed the spot on his arm where Rise had hit him. “You've been up there since last night,” he said.

“Did...Dad come home?”

Rise looked to Souji, who turned his face to the floor. He shook his head. “He had to work over because...well, he had to help out with the aftermath of what they're calling a 'freak whirlwind' at Junes.”

“Oh,” Nanako said. “It's okay, I guess. I, well, still haven't figured out what I'm going to say to him.”

“What do you mean?” Rise said.

“Well, I've been acting like...I guess you'd call me a bitch,” Nanako said, laughing mirthlessly. She could sense Souji and Rise's discomfort at her saying that word, but gave them a big smile. “But I'm better now.” She glanced behind them toward the kitchen. “What're you burning, anyway?”

“Oh, it's beef storg...burning?” Rise shot back toward the stove, Souji close behind her. “Oh no, it's ruined!”

“No it's not,” Souji said. “The meat's just browned a little extra. Go ahead and take it out of the pan. After we add the sauce you won't be able to notice.” Rise did as he suggested and removed the meat. “Okay, now turn the heat down...good. Add the shallots and let them simmer for a few minutes, and I'll get the butter and mushrooms ready.”

“Wow,” she said, stirring in the chopped shallots. “Did I ever ask you how you learned to cook like this?”

“Maybe,” Souji said. “It's just trial and error.”

“Well, you're the best,” she said, her cheeks reddening.

“I wish,” Souji said. He turned away, his own cheeks turning red.

Nanako had followed them into the kitchen and watched the entire exchange, barely able to suppress a giggle. “You two are  _ so _ cute when you're pretending not to flirt with each other,” she said. Both of them turned to her, their eyes wide. “What?” Nanako said, shrugging. “You are.”

“Oh, no, it's not...not,” Souji said. He looked at Rise, who was watching him. Not what? He'd told her only yesterday they couldn't be together, but why not? He liked her, didn't he? He was attracted to her, wasn't he? He wasn't with anyone. What was wrong with being with another girl that he really liked? That he could love? What was he afraid of?

Rise waited for him to finish his thought. He was looking at her, but she couldn't tell if he was waiting for her to finish it, or if he just couldn't think of it himself. “It's not like that,” she said. The words hurt to say, but they sounded like what he had intended to say. Instead of confirmation, though, she thought she saw a little disappointment in his face.

He stepped around her and stirred the noodles boiling on the adjacent burner. “Y-yeah,” he said.

“I don't believe that,” Nanako said. “You can't see the way you two look at each other. I may not be all grown up like you, but I can see it easy. Why don't you stop denying it?”

“It's...not that easy,” Rise said, turning away from them both.

“Sure it is, just stop lying to yourselves.”

Souji gave a silent chuckle. He was constantly amazed with how mature Nanako was, how wise beyond her years. Maybe she was right, maybe he needed to stop lying. Wasn't that what they'd agreed? No more secrets? But he needed to prepare himself to say it, if he was really going to open himself up to Rise. Right now he had a meal to concentrate on, and it would provide a good enough distraction. “Um, Little Sis, we're making plenty if you want some.”

Nanako raised an eyebrow. That wasn't a denial, not even close. She knew she was right. She could feel it when she looked at him. What she also felt, though, was intense hunger; she was pretty sure she hadn't eaten in well over a day. “Sure, smells good. I'll set the table.”

Within a few minutes they were seated around the living room table, Nanako at her usual spot with her back to the sliding doors, and Souji and Rise to either side of her. The adults were trying not to look at each other.

She took a bite. It was  _ excellent _ . “This is really good, Rise-senpai,” Nanako said. “What did you call it again?”

Rise smiled. “Thanks, Nanako-chan, it's beef storgan...” she shook her head and sighed, “stor -  _ stro _ ganoff _. _ Shoulda picked something easier to say." She giggled. "Though...I didn't do it all by myself.”

Nanako looked from Rise to Souji. “Big Bro?”

“Hmm?” Souji murmured.

“You going to say anything?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, um, you did a really good job, Rise-chan.”

Nanako looked from Souji to Rise and back to Souji. They'd been doing just fine talking to each other earlier, and he'd even managed to get his arm around her. She didn't know why these adults couldn't just  _ be _ adults. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything to begin with.

“So, uh, Nanako-chan, how you feeling?” Rise asked.

Nanako nodded and swallowed her mouthful. “Good. Actually, great. Better than I've felt in a few days.” She shook her head. “I don't remember it happening, but it's like I remember being me, then I was suddenly someone else. I was doing weird things like wearing goth clothes and stealing Dad's sleeping pills. I mean, I've never done anything like that before.” She shook her head. “That thing in my head, the thing that wasn't me – what was it?”

“I don't know,” Souji said. “But there are these things over in the Shadow World – 'Memflies', we're calling them – that, from what we can tell, are blocking people's memories.”

“Or stealing them,” Rise said, shivering with the memory of what they'd done to her when they reached the Reverse Shrine.

Souji looked up at her, but she averted from locking eyes with him. “Yeah, or stealing them.”

Nanako nodded. “Okay, I remember the Shadow World like before, and now it's like a backwards Inaba, right? So how are the Memflies over there affecting people over here?”

“I don't...”

There was a banging at the door, and Nanako cried out in surprise. “What?”

Souji shot to his feet. He could see a form through the frosted glass. A female voice shouted, “Open up, we know you're in there!”

“Is that...Chie-chan?” Rise said.

“Open the door, dammit!”

“And Yosuke,” Souji said. He thought he heard others voice with them, but they weren't clear enough for him to identify. He turned to Rise and Nanako. “Stay there.”

“What do they want?” Nanako said. “Don't they still have that amnesia?”

“As far as I know,” Souji said. “I'll see what they want.” He headed for the door, but when he unlatched it he was shoved backward as it was violently thrown open. He tripped over Rise's shoes and fell to the floor. Immediately he found himself at a disadvantage against two of his former friends.

“Well, looks like you were right, Detective,” Chie said.

“All right, you,” Yosuke said, grabbing Souji's shirt and pulling him to his feet. Rise and Nanako both leapt to their feet and ran to his side.

“Stop it, Yosuke-kun!” Rise said, grabbing his arm.

Chie pushed her back. “Stay out of this, blondie,” she said.

“Yosuke-san, stop this right now!” Souji saw that Naoto was grabbing at his other arm. Was this all part of her game? “Do you want to be charged with assault?”

“I told you I'll  _ handle _ this,” Yosuke said.

“She said stop it!” Before anyone knew what was happening, Yosuke was staring straight into the business end of a can of pepper spray. Souji recognized it as the same one she had threatened him with the other day.

Yosuke yelped in surprise and loosened his grip on Souji's shirt. He stood almost frozen in place.

“Now listen, Yosuke-senpai,” Nanako said, “you need to calm the hell down. All of you do.” She glanced at Chie, Naoto, and Yukiko, who had just entered and was standing by the door. “First I wanna know what you're all doing here.”

“Who are you?” Chie said. “And how do you know our names?” Her right hand started sliding down her leg toward her boot.

Nanako stepped between Souji and Chie and pointed the can at her. “Keep your hands where I can see them, Chie-senpai. You've already trespassed on your own Lieutenant's property and assaulted his nephew. I'm defending myself against four home invaders. You don't want to escalate this by pulling your weapon during the commission of a crime.” She turned her head, keeping her eyes on Chie and Yosuke. “Back away, Big Bro. You too, Rise-senpai. It'll be okay.”

“Please, this isn't necessary,” Naoto said, raising her hands in surrender. She cast irritated glances at Yosuke and Chie. “We came here to talk.”

“Yeah, you can talk while I beat it out of that guy,” Yosuke said.

“Please  _ stop _ , Yosuke!” Yukiko said. “This isn't what we wanted.” She turned to Souji. “Please believe me, Seta-san, I don't know what's gotten into them. We really just wanted to talk.”

Souji glanced at Yukiko, but then turned to Naoto. “You've got my cell number,  _ Detective Shirogane _ . You could've just called instead of bashing in my door. My uncle's door. The  _ police lieutenant's _ door.” He crossed his arms. “I thought you were just playing a game with me before, but this...” he glanced between Yosuke and Chie, who were glaring at him with obvious malicious intent. He recognized their look as the same one Nanako had given him so many times these past few days, before they had finally saved her. He shook his head. “I am genuinely disappointed. After all you and I went through, that you'd abandon your professionalism like this.”

Naoto narrowed her eyes. “So you  _ do _ believe you and I are acquainted, just as with the others.”

“Naoto-kun, he's telling the truth,” Rise said.

“Enough!” Yosuke took a half-step forward, but Nanako again pointed the pepper spray at his face. “W-we want to know what you've done with Teddie,” he said, his voice becoming somewhat less resolute in the face of Nanako's weapon.

“Teddie?” Rise said. “What's happened to Teddie?”

“We're not talking to  _ you _ ,” Chie spat.

“For God's sake, Officer, what's gotten into you?” Naoto asked.

“She's furious,” Nanako said, staring at Chie. She could see the look in the woman's eyes, but there was more. It was if she could almost feel what Chie was feeling, like they were connected somehow. It frightened her as much as when she'd first faced her dark half. “Won't be much longer then she'll feel murderous. Yosuke-senpai, too. Big Bro, they're becoming like I was. So angry at you, and they don't know why, but they can't think straight.” She shook her head. “They want to hurt you like I did. If we don't save them soon, they might try to  _ kill _ you like I did.”

Souji glanced between Chie and Yosuke. He could see some of what Nanako was seeing written in their expressions, though her prediction was downright eerie. He hoped it was only hyperbole. “What's wrong with Teddie?” Souji said. He turned to Yukiko. “Yuki...Togashi-san, is he in danger?”

“You'd know,” Yosuke growled, squeezing his fists so tightly that his hands were shaking.

“I  _ don't  _ know, but if you'd tell me, maybe I can  _ help _ .”

“Guys, maybe he really  _ doesn't _ have anything to do with it,” Yukiko said, placing a hand on Chie's arm. She turned to Souji, and just looking at him, for some reason, made her heart skip a beat. “Seta-san, do you  _ know _ Teddie?”

“Blond hair, blue eyes, and wears a big blue bear outfit?” Souji said.

“So you  _ do _ know him,” Chie barked. She stabbed a finger toward him, tearing her arm from Yukiko's grip. “So what'd you do with him?”

“He's missing,” Yukiko said. “He's a good friend of ours, and we're worried about him. He left a note before he disappeared. Said you knew something about him, and he had to find out for himself. Have you seen him recently?”

Souji glanced at Yosuke. “Not since the day you threw me out of Junes,” Souji said.

“Yeah, you were talking crazy stuff about some kind of Shadowy Land,” Yosuke said. “You said that's where he came from. Upset the hell out of him. I bet that's why he ran away.”

“The Shadow World?” Rise said. “But, Souji-senpai, you said Teddie didn't know anything about it.”

“He  _ said  _ he didn't,” Souji said. “But maybe...maybe he really did remember it, even if none of you did.” He glanced over everyone in the foyer. They had all, at one time or another, faced their dark sides and, in the end, become Persona users. But for some it was more traumatic than others. He turned to Yukiko. He knew her trauma, how deeply it had affected her even years later. Maybe he needed to push a little harder, use bad memories instead of good to cut through the Memflies' influence. He said a quick prayer she'd forgive him for this later. “Yukiko, back seven years ago when the Adachi murders happened, you were kidnapped. Right?”

“I-I...” Yukiko stammered. “How...did you know? I never told anyone, not even my mother.”

“You told  _ us _ ,” Chie said, turning to her. “I tried to get you to go the police, but you wouldn't.”

“Where were you after you were taken? How did you escape?” Souji asked.

“I...I...” Yukiko said. “I don't...remember...”

“Yes you do,” Souji said. “Think hard. You were thrown into a TV, and ended up in the Shadow World beyond it. You got lost there, in a place that was formed by your own inner desires. Those desires formed into a Shadow version of you. It would've killed you if we hadn't come to rescue you.” He looked at Yosuke and Chie. “We. Me, Yosuke, and Chie. We all rescued you.”

Yosuke and Chie were staring at him, Chie with fire in her eyes. “How  _ dare _ you call me...!”

“Chie...” Yukiko said, cutting off her tirade. “You...rescued me. You all...all came? But...why don't I remember?”

_ This is her trigger _ , Souji thought. He had to push as hard as he could, goad her on until she finally broke free. “Yes, Chie. Your Prince Charming, as your other self called her.”

“What?” Chie said, practically screaming it. Her face turned bright red. “Now you just wait a...”

“Your closest friend, your sister,” Souji said. “Your Shadow revealed everything to us. How much you hated not being able to choose your own destiny, how desperate you were to get away from it all and make your own life.”

“N-no...” Yukiko said. She started panting heavily.

“Yes!” Souji said. “Think about it. Your Shadow took on the form of a caged bird, because that's what you felt like. You hated your name, 'Snow Child'. You hated the Inn. You wanted your prince to take you away. You wanted Chie to take you away, and cursed her because she wasn't strong enough to do it.”

“I swear, if you don't stop this right now...” Chie said through clenched teeth.

“And in the end you cursed yourself for being too weak to leave on your own. You cursed the Inn, you cursed the town, and you cursed yourself.”

Yukiko's breathing became even heavier, her head bobbing with each breath She stumbled backward. “Yukiko!” Chie cried as she rushed to her side, and grabbing her and helping to steady her. Yukiko's chest began to expand almost unnaturally as her head slumped forward, and she fell back onto the door jamb behind her.

“Yukiko?” Yosuke said, moving to her other side.

“What...what's happening?” Nanako said. Souji laid a hand on hers, which was still pointing the pepper spray in their direction, and gently pushed downward. Nanako let her hand fall to her side.

“She's remembering,” he said.

Yukiko's head rose as she exhaled, black smoke pouring out of every orifice in her head and dissipating into the air. Just as her head reached as far back as it could go it stopped leaking the smoke. She started panting again, and her knees gave out. Chie caught her as she fell to the floor.

Naoto has been staring at this entire exchange in silence, observing what she originally thought was Seta's delusion. Now, though... “What...what  _ is _ this?”

Yukiko's head was rolling on her shoulders. Chie tried to hold it steady and look into her eyes, but even with her head stationary Yukiko's eyes kept rolling about in their sockets, not focusing on any one thing. “Yukiko!” she said, almost in a sob. She turned to Souji. “What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?” She turned to Nanako. “Did you spray her?”

Souji simply stared down at her. After a few seconds Chie started to reach into her boot again, but this time felt a hand grab her arm. She looked down to see it was Yukiko's.

“Chie...no...” Yukiko said, her voice weak. Her eyes continued rolling around for a moment, but then finally focused on Chie. “No...gun...”

“Yukiko,” Chie said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Yukiko said. “Chie...I'm okay. For the first time...in a while...I'm okay.”

“In a while? What do you mean?” Chie asked.

“You remember now, don't you?” Souji said.

“Shut up!” Yosuke said. “You don't get to talk to her anymore!” He launched himself at Souji, connecting hard with his midsection and sending them both flying into the kitchen table. It slid backward and struck the stove, a saucepan flipping over and splattering the remnants of the stroganoff sauce onto the stove and floor. Yosuke started pounding Souji with his fists, Souji only just barely able to guard his face and head with his forearms.

Nanako started to point the pepper spray at Yosuke but Rise stopped her. “No, you might hit Souji-senpai,” she said.

“Yosuke, stop it!” Chie shouted.

“Stop!” Naoto shouted, attempting to grab Yosuke's arms, but he shook out of her grip.

Souji brought his knee up and knocked Yosuke off balance and off from on top of him. Yosuke rolled to the floor, slamming into the chest of drawers by the stairwell and knocking over a framed photo.

Souji jumped to his feet. He held up his hands, palms open, toward Yosuke. “Yosuke, stop it.”

Yosuke swung his leg around and struck Souji's leg. Only by quickly shifting his balance onto his other foot did Souji remain standing. He backed off a step. Nanako jumped to Souji's side, the pepper spray once again pointed at Yosuke. “Don't make me, Senpai. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” Yosuke stopped. He had no way of knowing whether that girl would really spray him, but wasn't prepared to take that chance.

“Put it down,  _ now _ .” Nanako glanced over to see Naoto pointing her gun in their direction. She looked at each of them individually. “I don't know what's happened here, but everyone is going to calm down right now.” She turned to Nanako. “Put it down, Nanako-san.”

Nanako stared at Naoto, their eyes at the same level. Slowly she lowered the can, and then knelt down and set it on the floor. Naoto swept it into the stairwell with a kick. “Yosuke-san, I don't know what's gotten into you but you'd best regain your composure or I'll have no choice but to physically restrain you.” She glanced back to Chie an Yukiko. “Togashi-san, are you all right?”

“I'm fine, Naoto-kun. Please, put the gun down.” Yukiko stood shakily and turned to Souji. “Souji I...I remember now. Everything. I remember the Shadow World, the investigation. I remember...us.” She stepped forward and laid a hand on Naoto's. Naoto lowered the gun and Yukiko turned to Rise. “Rise-chan.” She turned to Nanako. “Nanako-chan. You both remember?”

Nanako nodded. “After Souji and Rise-senpai saved me.”

“He saved me, too,” Rise said.

Yukiko blinked. “What...happened to me?” She started to waver in her stance again. “I don't know, but...the day you were coming back. Sunday, right?”

“Yeah,” Souji said. He grabbed a chair and brought it over to her, helping her sit down. Chie stepped forward slowly, her hand hovering near the top lip of her boot. Yosuke was still sprawled on the floor, Nanako watching him even though she was no longer armed.

“I remember...talking to you that morning. Then...it was like things were all dark. My head felt like it was full of water. I couldn't think, I couldn't...” She gasped. “Teddie!”

“You said Teddie was missing,” Rise said.

“He must have gone into the Shadow World,” Yukiko said. “Where he came from, it all makes sense. Souji, we need to find him. If he still can't remember, then he might get lost there, might not be able to find his way out.”

“The Shadow World's changed again,” Souji said. “It's...like a backward Inaba now.”

“What?” Yukiko said.

“It's true,” Rise said. “And it's full of these...Memfly things. They're eating everyone's memories from the other side. And they - they almost killed me.”

“Me too,” Nanako said. “No, worse. They almost made me kill Big Bro.” She turned to Yosuke. “Like you just tried to do.”

“We have to go find him,” Yukiko said.

“Wait, stop,” Chie said, stepping between her and Souji. He backed away, keeping an eye on her hands. Now, though, he could see that the rage had left her eyes and was replaced with genuine concern. “This is all nuts. Shadow World? Are you even listening to yourselves? Teddie is missing somewhere in the real world, not some fairy land. And don't think I don't know what you're up to,” she pointed to Souji. “You're doing something to mess with people's heads. We're leaving now. I'm gonna help Yukiko from...whatever you did to her. But I'm going to be coming after you, count on it.”

“Don't you threaten my brother,” Nanako said. “My dad...”

“Is my Lieutenant, yeah, I heard that part. Well, when he finds out you've threatened a police officer with a deadly weapon he isn't going to be very happy with you, little missy.”

“Chie, please stop,” Yukiko said. “You always protected me, but this time I have to save you. When you came to rescue me in the Shadow World, my...other self said things, about how you were my Prince Charming. You...you are. You always watched out for me.”

“But it was different for you, Chie-chan,” Souji said. “Your Shadow told us all about how you depended on Yukiko as much as she on you. How jealous you always were of her, of how beautiful she was and you thought you weren't, about how all the boys wanted her and not you. But she depended on you, always saying how she couldn't do anything without you, and that gave you pride. You were proud that the smartest, most popular girl in school depended so completely on you, and you swore you would never let her out from under your thumb.”

Chie shook her head in short jerks, her breath coming in quick rasps. There was a faint buzzing in her head. “Y-you don't...don't dare...”

“It was in my castle, Chie,” Yukiko said. “The place I created in the Shadow World to hide from everything. But I saw you, and the  _ other _ you, and heard everything you said. It hurt to hear you say those things, but then I realized that was the same way I felt about you. We always needed each other, Chie. That's why we were so close, because each needed the other just as much.” She stood and placed a hand on Chie's cheek. “Please, I know you're in there fighting it. Please, push through it and come back to me.”

Chie put her hands to her head and jumped backward. The buzzing had grown exponentially louder, and her head felt like it was going to explode. “N-no...what are you doing...to her...me? L-let...let me go!” She looked up and saw the TV in the corner of the living room. If she could only get to it...get to it and escape... She shot past them into the living room and before anyone could think to follow she had jumped headfirst into the screen and become lodged at the waist. The TV and its stand rocked back and forth, threatening to tip over. There was an echoing scream from the other side.

“Holy shit!” Yosuke said. “What...Chie!” He jumped up and ran to her, grabbing her legs and pulling backward. “What the hell is this?”

Souji was at his side immediately. “Chie-chan, hang on!”

“N-no! No, don't!” Chie's voice cried.

“She's stuck,” Souji said. “We pull on three. Ready...”

“Three!” Yosuke shouted and yanked hard. Souji did the same about a half second later, and Chie broke free of the screen. They tumbled backward into the living room table, knocking the dishes and stroganoff onto the carpet. Chie landed on top of Yosuke, and the TV stand finally toppled over, sending the small flatscreen to the floor with a  _ crunch _ , a crack cutting across it as it came to rest at an odd angle against the stand. As Souji rolled over and stood he could see Chie's mouth was wide open and she was blinking, but her eyes appeared empty, the brown of her irises faded into a very pale green.

There was a shrill laugh from the TV, and they could see a face appear in the broken screen. Its skin was white and the hair blond, but the eyes were jet black throughout.  _ “Wonderful, wonderful. Now I have two. Well, one and a half, but I'll settle for now.” _ The face turned toward the kitchen, in the direction where Naoto, Rise, and Nanako were standing, and it said, _ “I'll be seeing  _ you _ on the flip side!” _ The face vanished and the screen went dark.

“What the hell was that?” Yosuke said.

“Oh my God,” Naoto said. It was the same face she'd seen just before she passed out at Junes. “That...wasn't a hallucination? You all saw that?”

“Big Bro, what was that?”

Souji shook his head. “I don't...I don't get it. That was...”

“Chie!” Yukiko rushed to Chie's side. They all noticed she had stopped blinking and had gone completely limp. “Chie, wake up.” She put a hand on Chie's forehead. It was ice cold. “Chie, no! Someone help me!” She and Souji moved Chie onto the floor. “She's not breathing.” Yukiko tilted her head back, pinched her nose, and breathed directly into her mouth. After three breaths she put an ear to her mouth. “C'mon, Chie, please. Don't give up on me. C'mon, come back.” She repeated the rescue breathing a second time and felt for breath. She tried a third time. Tears started streaming down Yukiko's face as she again felt for breath. “No, you're not dying now. C'mon,  _ breathe _ , dammit!”

Rise put her hands to her mouth as she watched, and she found herself begin to cry.  _ No, it can't end like this _ , she thought.  _ It can't...we were so close to saving you. _ She started muttering a prayer, but couldn't concentrate enough to finish it.  _ Please don't let her die. _

Souji could only stand and watch, and Nanako came up beside him and hugged him tightly. “No...Big Bro...it can't be...” He clenched her tightly. All the hopelessness he'd managed to push out of his heart came rushing back. It couldn't end like this for Chie. He couldn't let it, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He could only watch Yukiko as she tried desperately to revive her friend, and pray for a miracle.

Yosuke was on his hands and knees at Chie's side. “No, Chie. No, please don't. Please breathe. Please don't die.”

Yukiko repeated the rescue breathing once again. She felt for breath, and started another round of breathing. Checking again. Breathing again. “No,” she said, continuing the breathing, though it came in jerks as she began to sob. Still nothing. “Please don't leave me,” Yukiko said, repeating the breathing one more time.

Her last breath met resistance and she pulled away. A cough. Yukiko watched closely as Chie blinked once. Twice. She took a shallow breath and then coughed again, squeezing her eyes shut. After a few more coughs she started breathing normally. Yukiko smiled through her sobs, her face soaked with tears, as she hugged Chie tightly. “Chie, oh my God, I though I lost you.”

“Ch-Chie...” Yosuke said, throwing his arms around them both and kissing Chie's forehead. His own tears finally let loose.

Souji, Nanako, Rise, and Naoto could only watch in stunned silence. Rise and Nanako each started to cry, and when Souji looked over at Naoto, he could see she had covered her face in her hands, gazing at Chie through her fingers.

Chie blinked a few times, and then brought her arms around Yukiko and Yosuke. She shifted her gaze between the two of them, and then turned to Yukiko. “What...happened?”

“You're okay,” Yukiko said, laughing and crying at the same time as she pulled away. Yosuke immediately took her place in embracing his fiancé. “I was so scared I lost you.”

“I...lost...uh...” Chie said. She looked down at Yosuke, and then back up at Yukiko. “Who...who  _ are _ you?”


	11. Once More Unto The Breach, Dear Friends

Yosuke jumped to his feet and charged at Souji, gripping the front of his shirt. He pulled Souji so close that their noses touched. “What did you  _ do _ to her?

“I – I didn't do that,” Souji said, taking Yosuke's wrists in his own hands and trying to pry his friend away, without much luck. “Get off me!”

“Only after I take a piece of your...”

“Both of you stop it!” Yukiko was upon them and literally tore them apart. Yosuke's grip loosened only after a portion of Souji's shirt had torn. “Yosuke, go help Chie.” When he started to protest she said. “Right  _ now _ !” Yosuke frowned deeply and, after a glance at Souji, went back over to Chie. “Okay,” Yukiko said, sighing. She swiped a hand across her face, wiping away some of the tears. “I'm sorry, I don't know why he's been acting like that.”

Despite her attempt to calm him, Souji's long fuse had finally burned down almost to ignition. While he was at least a little glad she had separated them, part of him wanted to knock Yosuke onto his ass just for spite. “Memflies or not, he's about five seconds from a serious beat-down,” he muttered.

Yosuke, not taking his eyes from Chie, said, “Yeah? You just try it asshole.”

Souji started toward him, but Yukiko and Nanako both held him back. “Cool it, Big Bro,” Nanako said. “He's still your friend. He doesn't know what he's doing. It's more than just the Memflies.”

“Yeah, well I've had it up to about here with all this crap!” He pulled away from them and stomped toward the kitchen, casting a dirty look at Naoto as he passed by her.

Nanako and Yukiko looked at each other, and then followed. Rise, who had knelt down on the other side of Chie from Yosuke, had her eyes fixed on Souji. She'd never seen him lose his cool like that, and it made her heart ache to watch him finally break down. He'd been put through so much over the past few days, and it had finally gotten to him. It hurt her even worse that she wasn't with him, comforting him, assuring him that he was still loved. But he already had Nanako and Yukiko with him, and it would be stupid for her to crowd him. She could only hope that this wasn't a sign that whatever had befallen the town was starting to affect him, too.

“Why don't you go help your boyfriend?”

She turned to Yosuke. “He's – not my boyfriend.”

“Whatever,” Yosuke said. “I can take care of Chie.”

Rise noted the distinct lack of hostility in Yosuke's voice when addressing her. Why only against Souji? Was this all truly centered around him, as he'd suspected? She looked back at Souji and saw him leaning with his clenched fists on the kitchen table, muttering something incoherently to Nanako and Yukiko as they tried to comfort him. She felt both jealous and guilty. She wanted to be with Souji, comforting him, instead of Yukiko. However, Chie was her friend too, and despite the fact she was sure there was nothing she could do just now, she needed to be there as well. Her feelings would just have to wait.

“C'mon, say something,” Yosuke said to Chie, stroking her cheek. “Who am I?”

Chie blinked lazily. “I dunno. Who'm I?” Yosuke squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head. Rise thought she could hear him muttering something, but couldn't make out the words.

In the kitchen, Souji was leaning on the kitchen table, his fists still clenched. He was shaking. “Souji, please,” Yukiko said, gently stroking his arm. “Please, he doesn't mean it. He's confused, and he's scared for Chie.”

Souji shook his head. “I've been confused ever since I got here and I haven't attacked anyone.”

“Big Bro...is this how you felt after I attacked you?” Nanako asked, placing her hand on one of his taut fists. “Were you this mad at me?”

“No, I...” he opened his eyes and looked at her, and every muscle in his body immediately loosened when he saw the genuine fear in her eyes.  _ Oh God, what the hell kind of person am I?  _ “No, Little Sis, I wasn't...I wasn't...” He pulled her into a hug. “I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I scared you. I just...” He felt a sob trying to work his way out but he sucked it in and instead cleared his throat. “I'm okay now.”

“You sure?” Yukiko said, sliding her hand down his back.

He turned to her and nodded. Seeing the two women he loved most in the world, aside from his mother, looking at him with such sorrow broke his heart. “Yeah,” he managed, and then turned away. He couldn't look at Yukiko any longer. Doing so made his head spin for the maelstrom of emotions it brought up in him. Loss, hope, guilt, joy, shame... He glanced over at Rise and saw her looking at him for a moment before turning back to Chie. He felt like the lowest form of life at that moment, and if he could have crawled into a hole and died he would have been content.

“So what was that thing on the TV, anyway?” Rise said.

“I – don't know how,” Souji said, “but it looked like one of my Personas. Loki.”

“Loki?” Yosuke said. “What the hell's a Loki?”

“A Persona's like a – kind of self-image that takes on the form of a mythical being,” Yukiko said. “But how could your Persona have done that to Chie?”

“It can't,” Souji said. “I mean, I'm here in the real world. There's no way my Persona could've been active in the Shadow World.”

“How do you know?” Yukiko said.

Souji shrugged. “I – guess I don't.”

“What if it's the Midnight Channel again?” Rise said. “We expected to see something, and it appeared on TV.”

“What if it was the real Loki?” All eyes turned to Nanako. “Well, didn't you tell me once that Personas take on the appearance of a god or some other supernatural thing? What if Loki's real, like Izanami, and he's doing all this?”

“Well, maybe,” Souji said. “That could be it.”

“Yeah,” Rise said. “That would make sense. Loki's what's controlling the Memflies.”

“What?” Yosuke said. “Are you people listening to yourselves? You know what? You're crazy. All of you are. Look, I don't know what you did to Chie but I'm getting her to a hospital.” He started trying to lift her from the floor.

“A hospital can't help her,” Rise said, placing a hand on his arm, but he shook it off. She gazed into Chie's empty eyes, which were watching her with a dull curiosity. “They took so much of her. There's barely enough there to keep her going.”

Yukiko walked back over to them. “Look, Yosuke, I don't know what's happened to you...happened to all of us, but you know  _ me _ . Listen to  _ me _ . I want to help Chie too, and I promise you they do too. They want to help all of us.”

Naoto had watched this entire exchange silently, unable to will herself to move or to speak. She could only observe and absorb, trying to wrap her mind around it all. Yukiko suddenly going from not knowing Seta to being, apparently, his best friend was strange enough, but when she saw Chie vanish waist-depth into a television set no deeper than her arm was wide, and then saw the same thing appear on the TV that had taunted her at Junes, it completely threw off her deductive, logical mind. She finally gave up trying to make sense of it all, coming to the conclusion that there was just no sense to be made of it. Of course, something supernatural was happening. There were no parlor tricks she could image that could fake such a thing, not when she was standing no more than a couple meters from it.

_ Only a fool denies the presence of the Sun by staring directly into it _ , she remembered her grandfather once telling her. She had seen what she had seen, and she couldn't simply ignore her own observations. She would just have to expand her system of beliefs, if only for the short term, if she was going to get to the bottom of all this. It was obvious now that Seta wasn't the cause of all this, but somehow he was still at the center of it. The television, though, was the most fascinating aspect. A television set acting as some kind of portal?

She walked over to the broken TV and knelt down before it. She ran her finger along the crack in the screen, her nail skirting the cracked edge until it slipped and her fingers pushed into the solid area of the screen to her first knuckle. The screen rippled around her fingers. She gasped and pulled her hand back. She glanced back at the others to see if anyone else had noticed, but they all appeared be too embroiled in their conversations to notice her.

_ This really isn't a dream,  _ she thought.  _ That thing was real. What happened to Satonaka-san was real. And this...  _ She stuck her hand into the screen again, all the way up to her wrist, and gasped when she felt something clamp onto her hand from inside and start pulling. She tried to resist the pull, but cried out as she was quickly yanked in, striking her forehead on the frame and knocking her cap off, but stopped only partway in. Her chest had become caught on the crack in the screen, as if it were the only solid part of the screen.

Everyone turned to her when they heard her cry. “Naoto-kun!” Yukiko shouted as she dove to the floor, grabbing Naoto's ankles and pulling with all her strength.

Souji rushed over from the kitchen and grabbed for Naoto's legs, but could only just barely get his fingers around the fabric of her trousers before she was torn from both his and Yukiko's grip. She was literally sucked the rest of the way into the TV, the screen shattering and the pieces pulled in with her. Her feet were the last thing to vanish, and then all that was left of the TV was its housing and an exposed circuit board behind where the screen had been. Souji reached in after her but could only make contact with the electronics within the ruined set.

Rise shot to her feet. “We have to go in and get her!”

“There's a TV in my room!” Nanako said, bounding toward the stairwell. “It's too small to go in through, but maybe we can call her!” Souji nodded, and followed her up the stairs, with Rise close behind. He'd seen the TV on her vanity the evening before when he put Nanako to bed, though now he could see it was the same set that used to be in his guest room.

Nanako touched the screen and it rippled under her fingertips. She put her face up to it, but Souji held her back. “No, I'll do it. It could be dangerous.”

“I'll just stick my face in,” Nanako said. “I'll call for her, and if anything happens, you pull me out. Okay?”

Souji shook his head. “No, I...”

Nanako stuck her face into the screen. “Naoto-senpai! Naoto Shirogane! Can you hear me?” Her voice echoed.

Souji yanked her away from the set. “I said  _ no _ !”

“Senpai...” Rise started.

“I'm not a little girl anymore!” Nanako said, slapping away his arm. “Stop treating me like I am!”

“Nanako-chan!” Rise said.

Souji was about to retort, but realized his anger was starting to return again, and this time there was no cause for it. He took a few breaths.  _ No, I'm not going to take it out on her. _ He hung his head. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I just...I can't imagine what I'd do if something happened to you.”

Nanako had been ready to argue her point, but his conciliatory response left her with little to do but bite her lip. She lowered her head. “Just don't patronize me, okay? I've already got Dad for that.”

Souji nodded. “Let me try one more time.” He leaned down and stuck his face into the screen. “Detective Shirogane! If you can hear me, shout out!” He turned his head so his ear was inside the screen and waited. Nothing. “Dammit, we don't have much time.” He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and held the phone out so they all could hear. “C'mon, pick up.”

“ _ Hello?” _

“Taro-kun, it's Souji. We have to go into the TV. Now.”

“ _ Now? I'm, uh, kinda busy...” _

“It's an emergency!” Nanako said. “It's our friends – two, uh,  _ three _ of our friends...they're all in there. We have to go get them before something worse happens.”

A pause. “ _ All right, meet me at my house in fifteen minutes.”  _ The phone beeped as the call disconnected on the other end.

Souji closed his phone and tucked it into his pocket. “C'mon.” He led Nanako and Rise downstairs to where Yukiko and Yosuke were still tending to Chie. “Everyone, we're going into the Shadow World.”

“All of us,” Nanako said.

“Wait,” Souji said. “Not you, Nanako. I need you to stay here.”

“What?” Rise said.

“Excuse me?” Nanako said. “Didn't I just say I didn't want to be treated like a little kid? I've got a Persona now, just like you!”

“It's too dangerous,” Souji said.

“Well...it was for us, too,” Rise said. Souji looked up at her, surprised to hear her defending Nanako's decision to follow them into danger.

“How old were you guys when you went in?” Nanako asked. “Twelve? Thirteen?”

“Sixteen,” Souji corrected.

“I was fifteen,” Rise said.

Souji glared at her. “You're  _ really _ not helping here.”

“Look,” Nanako said, “I'm thirteen, but you know I can fight! I held  _ you _ off for a while, didn't I?”

_ That she did _ , Souji thought, but shook his head. “It's not about fighting, it's...”

“Will you all stop yelling?” Chie shouted, her eyes screwed shut and her hands to the side of her head. The room fell silent as everyone turned to her. “S' hurting my ears,” she said more quietly, her words breathy and slurred. Yosuke placed a hand on hers and kissed her forehead. He then turned to Souji, his eyes narrow.

“Listen,” Nanako said, “you can either let me come with you now, or I'll find a way to follow you anyway.” She crossed her arms. “I win, game over.”

Souji could think of absolutely nothing to say in response. Somehow, Nanako had managed to win the argument. He noticed everyone else watching him, as if expecting some master retort. Only Rise seemed to be actually on Nanako's side, her eyes pleading, but Souji knew the longer they stood there arguing, the more danger Naoto and Teddie would be in. He clicked his tongue. “All right, fine. But we need to go now. Yosuke, Chie needs to come with us.”

“Like  _ hell _ she does!” Yosuke said.

“It's the only way we can help her,” Rise said walking over to him and kneeling down. “Trust me.”

“Trust  _ you _ ?” Yosuke said. “I don't even know you! All I know is you're  _ his _ girlfriend and I don't trust him as far as I could throw him!”

“Girlfriend?” Yukiko asked. She turned to Souji, who seemed to be trying to respond, but it only came out in an incoherent babble. She looked at Rise, who seemed to be making a point of not looking at her. Yukiko shook her head and said, “You do know her, Yosuke-kun. We don't –  _ Chie _ doesn't have time for us to argue.” She hooked Chie's arm around her shoulder and started hefting her off the floor. “Help me.” When Yosuke hesitated, she said, “Now!”

Yosuke muttered a curse and slid under Chie's arm. “I'm not letting you take her anywhere,” he said. “Not even you, Yukiko. I'm taking her to a hospital, and if you're really her friend you'll help me.”

“What do you think they're gonna be able to do for her?” Nanako said. “Her mind was taken over by creatures from another world. They have a pill for that?”

“Well I'm not letting  _ you _ guys take her to that 'other world'!”

“If you don't she'll be lost forever,” Rise said. “It almost happened to me. Look at her. She's practically a shell. Almost nothing in there. You want her to be like that for the rest of her life?”

Yosuke looked down at Chie for a moment, absorbing her blank stare. Her eyes rolled toward him, but they truly did seem almost completely empty and lifeless. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth, “but I'm going with you.” He turned to Chie. “I'm not gonna let them hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” Chie said. “No, don't wanna hurt.”

“Nobody'll hurt you,” Yukiko said. “We're gonna help you. C'mon.”

Yosuke groaned and helped her lift Chie to a standing position. “I'm not letting her out of my sight.”

“Fine,” Souji said. “We have to get moving.” He turned to Nanako, whose arms were crossed. “You can come,” he said, “but you stay near me, okay? Fighting with your Persona isn't easy, it's dangerous. You have to...”

Nanako nodded, and then cut off his lecture. “I'll be careful, I'll stay near you, okay?” She turned to Chie. “We gotta hurry. We don't know what'll happen to her if we take too long.”

As they had all filed out of the house, Rise said, “I think your place is a bit of a mess, Nanako-chan.”

“We'll clean it up later,” Nanako said.

“Hope your dad doesn't see this, though,” Rise said. “He might get worried something happened.”

“Something did,” Yukiko said, offering a small smile that Rise didn't return. “We'll just have to hope he understands. If not, I'm sure Souji'll think of something.”

Yukiko's smile widened, and while Rise smiled back, it was a hollow reciprocation. Yukiko had only been back for a few minutes but already it seemed she was drawing herself closer to Souji. And then her apparent mortification at the implication that he and Rise were together.  _ But aren't you married? _ she thought.  _ You'd better not be thinking about stringing him along, or I'll never forgive you.  _ “Yeah, he'll think of something.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryotaro stepped out of his office into the "bullpen", the common room shared by everyone below his rank. His eyes were burning and his head was congested, but his short, interrupted nap had given him at least a small chance to refresh his mind.  _ I really need to go home today _ , he thought.  _ What good's being a lieutenant if you still have to do everything yourself? _

His ringing desk phone had shocked him out of his slumber, one of his brighter up-and-coming detectives on the other end telling him there was something he needed to see. His body protested the movement from its rest position, but as always Ryotaro pushed the discomfort out of his mind. It took him a minute to squeeze through the too-tightly-packed cubicles to the AV room where his detective had been working much of the morning. Once there he took a sip of coffee from the paper cup in his hand. "Whatcha got, Omako?"

Sitting before a TV screen and an older digital video player was a young man, clad in a crisp suit that was only just beginning to show the wrinkles of having been worn for more than 24 hours in a row. Dots of black had sprouted from odd places on the man's cheeks and jaw, the stubble of a young man whose beard had not quite filled out yet. "Security tapes for Junes around the time of the incident," he said as he tapped the "Play" button and set his finger on the tracking dial.

The image on screen was in color but with no sound. It showed a vantage point of the Junes parking lot, taken from what looked like a couple dozen meters from the epicenter of the chaos. "Wasn't this supposed to go to the weather bureau?" Ryotaro asked.

"I sent them a copy,” Omako said. “The parking lot part's all they wanted. You have to see this, though." The scene looked serene enough, some random trash that was blowing around the area indicating a healthy, though not abnormal breeze. Then, the camera shook as the front of a parked car caved inward, as if sliced by an invisible blade. After a few seconds the two parts jumped up and separated, flying off in different directions.

"What the hell was that?" Ryotaro said, leaning forward. “Rewind it, I didn't see what did that.” The detective rewound the video and played it again. The car was split again, and again was thrown off the ground. “Anybody messed with this video?”

“I doubt it,” Omako said, “It's one of those tamper-resistant ones that makes videos you can present in court. There's more, look.” A depression suddenly appeared in a section of the pavement about three cars down from the one that had split in two. After a few seconds the depression exploded upward, sending chunks of pavement flying. "Now, I haven't seen many whirlwinds in my time, but I don't think I've ever heard of one doing  _ that _ before." He spun the tracking dial clockwise a couple turns and the footage reversed. He then touched the screen and dragged his finger across the area where the pavement had seemed to spontaneously erupt. The image zoomed in, though it was a blockier image of the same area. The eruption played again in slower motion. "It looks like something long and thin dug into it, and was ripped back out. Something like rebar, maybe, but I don't remember seeing anything like that on the scene."

"Parts from an aircraft?" Ryotaro said.

"What ripped them back out of the ground, though?" Omako said. "But we'll hang onto that for a sec. Here's something from  _ inside _ the store, about eight minutes earlier." He punched a few buttons and the image switched to an overhead view of Junes' electronics department. He pushed one more button and the footage skipped to a frame showing three people standing in front of a television: a tall man in a jacket and cap, a woman with short blond hair, and a thin man with gray hair.

_ Gray hair... _ Ryotaro thought.  _ No, please don't tell me... _ Interrupting his silent plea, another figure appeared from off-camera and charged toward the gray haired man. The other was shorter and dressed all in black, and something glinted in his hand. "Pause it," he said. The image stopped, showing the gray haired man and the person in black grappling. He dragged his finger across the screen on that area and it zoomed in, becoming grainier, but he could just a see a little better the item the two were fighting for. "That...looks like a knife. Like you'd find in a kitchen."

"I thought so too," Omako said. "We had eyewitness reports on a fight that happened shortly before the whirlwind, and some of them mentioned a fight over a knife. I had a couple officers search the area but they didn't find anything."

"Play it," Ryotaro said. The image returned to the wide view, and the fight onscreen continued. After a moment, though, the image froze again. "Why'd you stop it?" he asked.

"I didn't," Omako said. "Look, the timestamp's still going." The time continued counting forward for a few seconds, but then it too stopped. The image jumped once, twice, and then parts of the image changed while others stayed still. Then, various blocks of different random colors appeared onscreen. After several seconds the image cleared and started moving again, but the people were gone.

"Problem with the camera feed?" Ryotaro asked.

"I thought so at first, but look at this." The detective ran the recording backward, and at one point where the screen was heavily pixellated he stopped it. "Look at the time." He pointed to the date and time reading in the lower left-hand corner. It read:

**66:66:66.666 – 66/66/6666**

"That happened exactly three seconds after the feed went nuts,” Omako continued. “I timed it. It happens two more times." He ran the video ahead several more seconds until a bulbous blue figure appeared from around a corner. Ryotaro knew the figure well as Junes' mascot, and remembered that he'd seen it peeking out from around that corner a couple times during the fight. It stood there, swaying for a few seconds before it turned to one of the television sets and reached a hand out. The feed started jumping again and became blocky, and Ryotaro noticed that the date and time had become all sixes again. Then the image cleared and the blue figure was gone. "The weird part,” Omako said, “is that the system in their security office writes these timestamps, not the camera.”

“It could have taken a surge when the power went out,” Ryotaro said. “After seeing this I'm thinking their system's not too reliable.”

“Probably right. The other time, though, was a couple minutes before this." The younger detective rewound the recording several minutes, and then started it again while the electronics department appeared empty. The image was almost completely still, the ticking timestamp the only indication that the video was playing. After a few seconds the screen started to jump once again, and the time and date became all sixes once again. Amidst the blocky patches, though, Ryotaro could see what looked like a person on the floor in front of one of the TV sets where before there had been nothing. The screen continued jumping, and when the video cleared the gray haired man was standing and the other two people with him were just getting up from kneeling positions.

Ryotaro zoomed in on the gray haired man.  _ Please tell me he didn't do what I think he did. Not there, of all places. _ He allowed the footage to continue for a moment and then he paused it on the spot where the gray haired man and the person in black were grappling. He zoomed in the picture even further, focusing on the person in black, and then he gasped, dropping his coffee. How could he have not seen it before? He hadn't seen much of her over the past few days, but how could he not have recognized...?

"Sir?" the detective said.

Ryotaro said nothing, and instead whipped out his phone and pressed the first speed dial button. After a few seconds there were three rising tones.  _ "I'm sorry, the number you are trying to reach is outside the service area." _ He closed the phone and jammed it into his pocket. "God dammit,” he said. “Did you give this video to the weather bureau? Have you shown this to anyone else yet?"

"N-no," Omako said. "I, uh, just saw it the first time when I called..."

"Don't show it to anyone else until you hear from me," Ryotaro said. "Got it?"

The detective blinked. "Yes, of course, sir."

“In fact, I want that disc on my desk, in a sealed evidence bag, in three minutes. It doesn't move from there until I get back. Understood?”

“Uh – yes, of course, sir.”

Ryotaro was already out of the room before Omako had finished his confirmation. He pushed his way through the cubicle farm and toward the front door.  _ This is getting out of hand. I shouldn't have let it get this far. I should've said something sooner. _ He jumped into his SUV and slammed the door shut. He started the engine, but left it in park for a moment. Then he slammed his hand into the steering wheel. “God  _ dammit _ ,” he cursed again. “Why'd you have to choose me for this?”

“Because you're the best ally he has right now.”

Ryotaro turned to the spectral form materializing in his passenger seat, but immediately looked away. He couldn't face her. “Some ally. I might have just screwed everything up.” He threw the truck into gear and peeled out of his parking spot. “Especially as a father.”

“No, don't say that! Don't you  _ ever _ say that!”

Ryotaro couldn't bring himself to look at her. Over the years there had been so much he'd wanted to say, if ever given the chance. Now, there was nothing he could think of. Instead, as he flipped on his siren so he could run all the red lights on the way to Junes, he said a silent prayer that he wasn't about to find what he was afraid he'd find.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taro pressed the End button on his phone and stuffed it into his shirt pocket.  _ Shit _ , he thought.  _ I didn't think we'd be going back this soon. _ He tiptoed past the meeting room to the reception desk. “Takako-san,” he said, “I've gotta leave. I'm, uh, not feeling well. Can you pass that along to my father?”

The chubby receptionist nodded. “Sure, Namatame-san. Anything I can do to help?”

Taro shook his head. “I wish there was.”

“Want someone to give you a ride?”

Taro shook his head. “I'll take the bus, thanks.” He grabbed his hat from the rack behind the desk and then walked out of the building. The bus stop was just outside and he stopped there, hands jammed in his pockets, his thoughts almost entirely focused on the upcoming excursion. He had slept ten hours the night before and still woke up exhausted. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to muster the energy for another long, perilous trip through the Shadow World.

He heard someone muttering behind him, only gaining his attention because “Namatame” was one of the words said. He looked over his shoulder to see two young men sitting there, staring at him. “What, you got a problem?” one of them said.

“You're Namatame, right?” the other said. “Looking for another little girl to kidnap,  _ hentai _ ?”

“Or maybe he's moved on to little boys,” the first said.

Taro turned and started walking briskly away from the bus stop and what was sure to become another pointless confrontation with more of his “adoring fans”, as he sometimes put it. He looked behind him and, when he was sure the men had decided not to follow him, he broke into a jog. In the years since his trial and acquittal, he still experienced the townspeople's distrust toward him, usually at the worst moments. Even Takako, as nice as she was to his face, talked about him behind his back. While he tried not to let it all get to him, his skin hadn't grown quite as thick as he would have liked.

All of that because he tried to stop a human killer with a supernatural method for killing. All these years later, having spent as much energy as he could putting it all behind him, he'd become embroiled in yet another of those supernatural “adventures”. He had fallen so far he was amazed he could still walk on his own. An up-and-coming secretary on the Yokohama City Council and former partner in a prestigious law firm, he was making all the right connections and was on track to an eventual office in the Diet, or even in the Prime Minister's Cabinet. He'd been married to a popular singer, and if he'd just learned to shut his mouth and pay attention to his work, he may well have had a cushy office in Tokyo by now and the same fair-to-middling marriage most career men enjoyed.

And then he'd met  _ her _ , and his world had turned upside down. They'd had so much in common, and with so much between them it had been a match made in Heaven. If only they'd met a few years earlier...

But, of course, events had unfolded otherwise. He had thrown away his marriage, his career, and his life in the pursuit of that silly thing called 'love'. It would have been bearable if he'd been able to at least return to Mayumi, but she was taken from him so violently that he'd been pushed right to the edge of sanity. And then he'd fallen off. He'd fashioned himself into some sort of messiah, almost destroying himself and the rest of his family in the process.

And here he was again, trying to play messiah with the same kids that had brought him down those years ago.  _ No, not brought me down _ , he thought.  _ Stopped me from making an even worse mistake. They saved me. _ It had given him a miniscule sense of satisfaction that he'd been able to help them find the true culprit, that bastard Adachi. Sometimes, after everything was been resolved, he'd wished he had a chance to actually meet Adachi in person. Taro had only been  _ accused _ of murder, a heinous act of which he had thought himself incapable, but the murder of Tohru Adachi was one he believed would have gladly committed. Even if it meant his execution, it would have been one bit of good he'd manage to leave behind.

Now, though, he could do some real good, maybe make up for everything he'd done. If he managed not to screw it up again.

While Taro was in decent shape for his age, the jog to his house left him a little winded. Once he was in view of it, though, he saw a half dozen or so people waiting for him. He stopped half a house down the street, preparing to flee if their intentions were hostile. After examining them he realized Souji, Rise, and Nanako were among them, along with the woman who ran the Amagi Inn and a young man and woman he recognized, but whose names escaped him. The unnamed young man and Amagi were supporting the unnamed woman, who was looking around with an airy indifference and seemed to have difficulty staying on her feet.

“Whoa, hold on. He's that guy from the news!” Yosuke said. “That murderer guy! No. No way in hell. I'm  _ not  _ doing this!”

Taro stared at Yosuke for a moment and then turned to Souji. “I'll explain later,” Souji said, shrugging. When he saw Yukiko's eyes on him as well, he announced, “Taro-kun's a member of the team, and I trust him.”

“Taro-san,” Rise said, “this is bad. Remember what happened to me, when the Memflies attacked me? Something like that happened to Chie just now.”

Taro studied to the young woman, who appeared to be bobbing in place like a half-comatose drunk. “Chie?”

“Chie?” Chie said. “Yer lookin' at me. 'Zat mean  _ I'm _ Chie?” Her words were heavily slurred. “Funny name. Chie. Cheeeeaaaayyyy...”

Taro turned to Souji. “You took her into the Shadow World?”

Souji shook his head. “She tried to jump into a TV and she got stuck partway in. This happened while part of her was there.”

Taro approached her but Yosuke stepped between them. “Don't you get near her,” he growled.

“She was attacked by a Persona,” Nanako said. “Or a god, or something else. We don't know.”

“We can talk about this later,” Rise said. “Naoto-kun and Teddie are both stuck in the Shadow World right now, and they're both in danger. We have to go in right now!”

Taro nodded. “All right.” He unlocked the door and they all filed into the house. As Souji led them upstairs Taro said, “So, you're talking about Naoto Shirogane, the one who helped you interrogate me, right? And 'Teddie' – wasn't he one of the ones you told me about before? What are they doing in there by themselves?”

“Naoto-kun got pulled in, and Teddie – I don't know,” Souji said, “but they didn't go in at the same time. They're alone, if we're lucky, and their memories are still being blocked. If we don't find them I don't know what'll happen.”

As they entered the junk room Yosuke stopped, yanking Chie's arm. She let out a yelp. “I can't believe I'm doing this,” Yosuke said, glaring at Souji. “First  _ you _ , then this kidnapper.” He stared Taro down. “You keep away from her. I don't care if these people trust you, I don't.”

“If Souji trusts you, I do,” Yukiko said.

Yosuke glared back at her. “Traitor.”

Rise rolled her eyes and sighed. “Taro-san, we have to bring her into the TV with us, see if we can find the Memflies that took her. We need you to help her like you did me.”

“We need to move now,” Souji said. “We don't know what'll happen if she's like this too long.”  _ It may already be too late,  _ he thought, but he pushed that feeling aside. They weren't going to give up on her if he could help it. He wasn't going to give up on his friend. “Everyone buddy up,” Souji said. “Nobody goes off alone, but keep an eye on your partner.” He turned to Nanako. “Stick close to me.”

“Of course,” Nanako said, bowing her head. A little bit of her annoyance at his doting seeped into her tone.

Despite the fact she knew Souji wanted to watch Nanako closely, Rise felt a little disappointed.  _ She  _ wanted to go with Souji, and was a little jealous of how close he seemed to be getting with Yukiko so soon after her return, despite their long separation beforehand. She took a quick headcount, though, and her heart skipped. There were seven of them. Of course, if nobody was to be alone one group would have to have three people. She might just be able to...

“I'm staying with Chie and Yosuke-kun,” Yukiko said. “But when we're done we're gonna need a full explanation.”

“I've already told you everything,” Souji said.

“But there's more, I know it.” She raised an eyebrow. “Souji, I could always tell when you were holding something back.”

_Not always,_ Souji thought, reflecting on his aborted marriage proposal from years ago. She never guessed that he'd just chickened out. Of course, now the one thing Souji wanted to know most was: _Just who the hell is this "Togashi" guy? How could you have married someone else without telling me?_ _How is it that it wasn't the first thing out of your mouth when your memories came back?_ Those words, and other far harsher ones, had been at the forefront of his mind, but he'd chose to keep them inside. Already this day, their team had been a dreadful example of failed teamwork even between those whose memories _weren't_ scrambled. The last thing he needed was to foment more strife, especially when three lives hung in the balance.

“Guys, fight later,” Rise said, interrupting his train of thought. She turned to Taro.  _ Guess I'm stuck with you,  _ she thought ruefully. She nodded to him, and he nodded back. “TV now.”

“I'm not going with any of you freak shows,” Yosuke said. “Not even you, Yukiko. You guys go get yourselves killed, I'm taking Chie home.”

“We can't save Chie if she doesn't come with us,” Souji said. “Taro, go with Yosuke, please, and keep him under control.” He turned to Yosuke. “Or you can go home, but Chie comes with us.”

“You think you can tell me...” Yosuke started.

“Yes,” Souji said evenly. “I can, and I am. Now shut up and come with us, or get the hell out of here.”

Yosuke and Souji stared at each other for several seconds, uncomfortable silence descending upon them all. Rise looked between Souji and Taro and said, “Well, um...I guess I'm going with you two.” She moved to Souji's side, standing closely enough to him that his intensity toward Yosuke changed into slight discomfort.

Yukiko, watching Rise jump at the opportunity to be next to Souji just as she used to do when they were younger, felt a slight pang.  _ Has she been up to something with him? Or...have they both been...?  _ She pushed that thought aside, though, and focused on Chie. “Then it's settled.”

“Like hell!” Yosuke said, turning to face Taro. “I'm not gonna take my eyes off Chie, and I'm not gonna be watching out for your sorry ass.” He turned to Souji and stabbed a finger in his direction. “I swear, whatever happens, I'm not gonna forget this.”

Nanako scoffed. “Well, you forgot everything else, why not this?”

“What did you just say to me?” Yosuke said.

“For God's sake, will you all quit it?” Taro said. “Really, how the hell did you people even get along with each other, much less save the world together?”

“Wha? World?” Chie said. “This one? Like, Earth? Or  _ Mars! _ ” She chuckled weakly. “Mars's nice. S'all red 'n stuff.”

“Everybody stop it!” Yukiko screamed. She yanked Chie, who had covered her ears again, forward toward the TV. “Three of our friends are in danger! Stop fighting about it and get in there!” She stepped in, pulling the shuffling Chie in with her.

Souji took a moment to reflect on his failures. Some leader he'd turned out to be. He couldn't even keep his team from fighting for thirty seconds, and that when the lives of three of the team were in dire straits.  _ Yukiko _ was the one who'd managed to spur them into action. “Nanako, Rise-chan, come on.” He placed a hand on Nanako's arm, and she nodded. The three of them climbed in together.

As Yosuke watched this, the hostility he'd been feeling felt gave way to incredulity. “No,” he said, shaking his head and backing away. “This is just nuts. I can't...can't do that. I can't go in like that. They're...they're all gone. Like Naoto-san.”

“If you're coming you better do it now,” Taro said, stepping toward the TV. “If not, I recommend you make yourself scarce before my parents get home.”

Nanako's head appeared back through the TV. “Are you guys coming, or what?” She disappeared again.

“I'm going,” Taro said. “Do whatever you want.” He stepped through the TV.

Yosuke was now alone in a stranger's home. _No, not just a stranger. Taro Namatame, the murderer._ _What the hell am I doing here? How did I let them talk me into this? I couldn't even stop them from taking Chie._ He glanced back through the door into the hallway. _Chie, I hope this helps you somehow._ He stepped forward and touched the screen and it rippled under his fingertips. He pushed his hand through. It felt cool, but not uncomfortably so. He pulled his hand back and stuck in a foot. He leaned forward, feeling a floor on the other side. _Hope I'm not about to die right here_. He ducked down and went through the rest of the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Naoto came to she had no sense of presence. She felt like she weighed nothing, even though something rough, hard and flat was pressing against her one side. She opened her eyes, but it didn't do much to alleviate her disorientation. Everything was in shades of gray and it made her feel for a moment like she was caught in one of the old detective movies her grandfather had always taken her to see; “Educational videos” he'd called them. Her head was swimming, though as she lay on what she assumed was the ground there was surprisingly little pain.

Once she moved, though, the pain made itself known. She winced as she tried to push herself up, and her head started throbbing. It wasn't like a migraine, as the pain was mostly centered around her forehead. She touched it with her finger and winced when she felt a bump. It was slick and wet, and had a depression in the middle. She looked down at her finger and saw it was smeared with a little blood.

She remembered that she'd hit her head when she was pulled into the TV. But pulled in by what? She took a moment to orient herself. She was on a street lined with houses, though there was no color to anything. Black shards were on the ground at her feet. She looked around, but there was nothing there except her.  _ No, wait...what are those? _ She saw what looked like swarms of tiny insects flying around. Such a sight wouldn't be out of the ordinary for this time of year, but that was in the world she came from. This place, while quite surreal, still looked familiar. But how?

“Naoto-senpai! Naoto Shirogane! Can you hear me?”

Naoto looked up. The voice calling her seemed distant, as if kilometers away, but she couldn't pinpoint its direction. “Hello?” she shouted. Her voice did not echo off the houses. In fact, there was no other sound except for what seemed like a faint whistling of wind.

“Detective Shirogane! If you can hear me, shout out!”

“Hello? I can hear you!” She realized only afterward that it was another voice that had called out the second time, this one sounding very much like Seta's. “Seta,” Naoto said. They'd gone to his house to confront him about Teddie, but then Togashi-san had some kind of fit. Afterward she'd started talking some of the crazy nonsense that Seta had been talking about. But was it really crazy, or even nonsense? Satonaka-san had her own fit and then jumped into the television set, apparently proving it was some kind of portal to another place, but then something  _ else _ had happened to her.

And then they'd seen that face. The same one that had appeared to her before she passed out at Junes. It taunted them, like it had her. But why? What was it? Was that what had pulled her into the TV after she'd touched it?

_ Why did I touch it? _

She saw movement out the corner of her eye. She whipped her gun out, and noticed that a door to one of the houses had opened.  _ One of the houses...that almost looks like...Seta's house. But it's... backward? _ There was another swarm of insects exiting, and something...she could only describe it as an empty spot, like a space where nothing could exist. Light seemed to bend around it like a lens, but the center was a dull, solid gray.

And there was one more object. A pillar of dancing lights followed the other two. Naoto stepped up cautiously and noticed that the pillar was about the same height as she. The three objects started moving down the street to the left, though the pillar hesitated for a moment as Naoto neared. She stepped away, and the pillar continued.

“Where am I?” Naoto asked the silence. There was no reply. Nothing to indicate she'd even spoken in the first place. She crossed to the other side of the street and followed the objects' path of travel to the intersection. They continued in the same direction as they crossed the street, but when Naoto went to follow she found her legs wouldn't let her go that way. She looked down, and as if they were doing their own thinking her feet started taking her left. “What?” she said.

_ Shrine... _

She scanned all around her. “Hello?”

_ Go to the Shrine... _

She hadn't heard the words with her ears. It was almost as if she had thought them herself. As if the words had total power over her, she found she could not resist their command, and her legs continued carrying her down the street.

She kept her gun at the ready as she continued on, the landmarks hinting that she was heading for the Central Shopping District.  _ That's where the Shrine is _ , she thought.

_ Such a brilliant deduction... _

Was she taunting herself? Or was she dreaming? She couldn't tell which, but her unease grew exponentially the further she let her own feet take her. Eventually she turned left again and started uphill, past shops that she recognized well, even though they, like Seta's house, were inverted. She passed dozens of other insect swarms as she continued up the street, though there were no more of the “empty” spots or pillars of light. As she rounded a curve she could see a green light reflecting off the buildings. She knew right away, without even having to think about it, that the light was coming from the Shrine.

_ Yes, the Shrine. All the time you've been in Inaba, you've been seeking answers. They're right there, in the Shrine. Just a little closer, just a little closer... _

“I wouldn't go in there if I were you.”

Naoto stopped, the compulsion in her legs suddenly gone. She turned to see the last thing she'd ever expected so see. Herself.

Not  _ exactly _ herself, of course. It was a boyish, younger version of herself, from years ago when she'd still been trying, and succeeding, to pass herself off as a boy. This other her was in a blue shirt and loose yellow tie, and covered with a lab coat whose sleeves were far too long for its arms. It was leaning against a storefront, its arms crossed over a flat chest. That reminded her of the restrictive corsets she'd worn as a teenager to hide her feminine figure, the discomfort of how tightly it squashed her bosom against her ribcage still a distasteful memory. The other's head was down, its eyes closed.

“You...you look like...” Naoto started.

The other her looked up, and Naoto gasped as she stepped back. It had glowing yellow eyes. “That's a dangerous place,” the other said. “One of the few times green means 'stop'.” It chuckled.

The voice was higher than that with which Naoto usually spoke, though it did still sound like her own. “Who – who are you?” she said.

“I am thou,” the other said. “And thou art I.” The other Naoto laughed out loud as if what she'd said were some kind of eternal joke. When it saw Naoto wasn't laughing, it sighed. “I'm the part of you that you tried to keep hidden from everyone. Your fears of being alone, of being dismissed as a simple child, as a simple  _ girl _ . To shed your womanhood so you would be taken seriously as a detective, and as a person. By becoming a man in spirit, if not necessarily in body. Put simply, you and your friends referred to me as your 'Shadow'.”

Naoto stared at the other her, this “Shadow Naoto”. It was if the thing had reached into the depths of her very soul and pulled out her old pains, only to throw them into her face. “But...how? How do you know these things about me?”

“Not going to deny them?” her Shadow said, raising its eyebrows. “Not even a little?”

Naoto shook her head. “What you've said - that was how I felt a long time ago. I came to terms with it, and moved on.”

Shadow Naoto shrugged and smiled. “Pity. We had a lot of fun with it the last time we met.” She looked the older Naoto up and down, eyes lingering a bit too long at the chest and the waist. “And look at you,” the Shadow said. “No longer trying to make yourself look like a little boy. With breasts like those, nobody would ever make  _ that _ mistake again.” Naoto, suddenly very self-conscious even under her “own” gaze, crossed her arms over her chest and turned away. “Oh, enough with the false modesty. It doesn't become you.  _ Us _ . You've given up on hiding your feminine form, and  _ what _ a form it's become. How much of a relief it was to start wearing clothes that actually fit my body type.” Shadow Naoto placed a hand to her chest and sighed. “Now then, since I haven't frightened you into running away or drawing your weapon, it's patently obvious that you know me even if you don't  _ remember _ me.”

Naoto dropped her arms and faced her other self fully again. “Excuse me? Know  _ you _ ? Are you really a part of me, and not some kind of hallucination?”

Shadow Naoto raised her eyebrows and tipped up the brim of her cap. “What's a hallucination? A trick of the senses, making you see or hear or smell something that isn't there. If everyone hallucinates the same thing, does that mean it's real?”

Naoto shook her head. “I don't understand. You're speaking nonsense.”

“We met before, and I exasperated you  _ so _ much.” The Shadow grinned gently as if it were a fond memory. “You denied me, but in the end accepted me and everything I stood for. Now you've got the benefit of having faced me, without the  _ memory _ of me. Or much of anything related to it. Including the people who helped you face me.” The Shadow sighed. “It makes me feel somewhat neglected, Detective.”

Naoto stepped closer to her Shadow. She could detect no deception in the face that was her own, despite its melodramatic range of projected emotion. However, she also knew she had the skill necessary to deceive others. Could she deceive herself? “Are you a function of this world?” She looked around. “This...reverse world?”

“I'm part of  _ you _ , weren't you listening?” Shadow Naoto growled. “I thought you were supposed to be a good cogitator, but you're really starting to embarrass me. I suppose you could say...this world brings out an echo of yourself when there's a part of you that you must face. I'm that echo. In this case, I'd say I'm your lost memories.”

“My memories?” Naoto asked. “I haven't lost...any memories.”

“Don't start denying me now,” Shadow Naoto said. “It's not fun anymore. I'm your  _ lost memories _ . You remember Kanji, don't you?”

Naoto looked down. “Yes, but he doesn't remember me.”

“And you thought that was from his injuries?”

“Injuries have been known to...”

“Amnesia doesn't work that way, and you know it,” Shadow Naoto interrupted, displaying her apparent ability to read Naoto's mind. “Something is happening in the world. Not this one, the  _ real _ one, where you come from. Something extra-natural. You know it, but are afraid to admit it because it flies in the face of everything else you think you know.” The Shadow approached her until they were within arm's reach of each other. “Stop lying to yourself and face the truth.”

“What truth?” Naoto asked.

“That you're a pawn in somebody's game. You, and everyone else in Inaba, possibly even the entire world. Until you manage to do something about that, you'll never find your answers.”

“Pawns,” Naoto said. “We're all pawns in Seta's game, right? He teams up with a kidnapper, then sets forth a chain of events that, so far, have led to a police officer losing her mind and myself being trapped in this place.”

Shadow Naoto shook her head. “No, no, no. Please stop, you're embarrassing me again. You're smarter than this. This isn't Souji's game. He's not some strategic genius. He wasn't seven years ago when we first met him, and he hasn't become one in the time hence.”

“What?” Naoto said.

“That's right, we knew him. He was involved in the Adachi murders, which you helped solve. You remember  _ that _ , I see. Well, I'm going to tell you a secret, something you knew back then but were afraid to believe, because you admired him so.” She leaned toward Naoto's ear. The Shadow's breath felt cold and dry against her cheek. “Seta was just as responsible for the murders as Adachi. He was given his power by the same demons that gave Adachi the powers he used to murder his victims, the powers that brought you here, that nearly killed Officer Shirogane just a short time ago. But you looked the other way, because Seta helped you to come to terms with yourself, the sly-tongued monster that he is. Think about it – who's the better tool for a goddess bent on humanity's destruction: a homicidal maniac who kills for his own pleasure, or a likeable man who leads the world into their own willing apocalypse?”

“That...that's....not possible,” Naoto said. “A goddess...demons...this is beyond unbelievable.”

“Experience is what helps us to recognize a mistake the second time we make it,” Shadow Naoto said, pressing herself more tightly to Naoto. “Only you've been robbed of that experience, and so you were about to make the same mistake you made last time: underestimating him. You've been watching him since you arrived in Inaba. But why did you come to Inaba in the first place? Because you knew he was going to be here, and you knew he was going to finish the work he started seven years ago.” The Shadow gripped Naoto's shoulders and pulled her so their faces were almost touching. “If not for your memory loss, which has resulted in your inaction, you might have stopped him already. As it is, he's led others back into this world, like lambs to the slaughter. The Kujikawa girl, his ex-girlfriend Yukiko Amagi, hell, even his own teenaged  _ cousin _ . All for his true master, the dark-faced, blond-haired one.”

Naoto gasped at the mention of it. She felt cold in the hot embrace of her Shadow self. She tried to shake her head, but it became a shiver. “Th-the one in the television screen. The one I saw at Junes yesterday.”

“Exactly,” Shadow Naoto said. “Frailty, thy name is  _ man _ !” The Shadow jerked Naoto forward and kissed her hard on the lips.

The kiss felt both electrifying and completely wrong at the same time. It was as if she were kissing her own sibling. The Shadow seemed to cling to her forever, long enough that she felt like she was beginning to choke under its intense kiss. Then suddenly the kiss was over, and she felt something tear through her entire body. She took a deep breath and collapsed to her knees, her eyes snapping open. Shadow Naoto was gone. No, not gone...it was  _ inside _ her, crawling under her skin, through her ribcage, her spine, and into her skull. Thousands of images flashed through her mind, and as they did she realized these were memories she had been missing, that had been  _ taken _ from her.

The Shadow World as it once was. Battling a Shadow form of Taro Namatame to rescue Nanako Dojima. Chasing Tohru Adachi across the wasteland and defeating him and the godlike being they thought was controlling him. Later, chasing through another world and fighting the true cause, the goddess Izanami.

But something felt wrong about it all. Something didn't fit. And it jabbed at her like a splinter in the tip of her finger. It had been for years, and she only now remembered it. She searched through the cacophony, trying to sort it all, when suddenly she felt a burning in her chest. She gasped, and quickly realized that the breath had done nothing for her. She took another breath, but it did nothing for her. She was choking on the very air she was breathing.

She felt her fingers and toes begin to curl uncontrollably, and every joint in her body began to flare up in pain. Shortly it was as if her entire body had been set aflame. She cried out and collapsed to her knees.

She couldn't even think anymore. The pain, the burning...all she could think of was it ending. All she could think of was dying, if just to escape the burning. And then, as if an answer to her wish, she slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

Over the rush of blood in her ears, in the instant before all went dark, she could have sworn she heard raucous laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Yosuke's head emerged from the screen the first thing he noticed was that the other side was completely devoid of color. He stepped forward, but his foot caught on the bottom frame of the TV screen and he stumbled to the floor, smacking his face on it. “Gah, dammit!” he barked.

Someone took his arm and helped him to his feet. “Guess we're all here, then. You all right, kid?”

It took Yosuke a moment to get to his feet. He opened his eyes to see that the one who had helped him up was none other than Namatame. The room seemed to be tilting, though, one way and then the other. He had a hard time standing straight. This place felt strange, as if it could swallow him whole.  _ It tried to swallow Chie, _ he thought.  _ Did it to Naoto-san, and maybe Teddie too. _ “Where's everyone else?”

“Outside,” Taro said. “Rise-san's power doesn't work indoors. I saw you stick your hand through, so I hung back.”

“What 'power'? What the hell you...and get your hand off me, you perv!” Yosuke jerked away so hard he stumbled onto an old threadbare chair, knocking it over.

Taro rolled his eyes. “Just come on, please. We don't have time to screw around.”

Yosuke pushed himself up off the floor. “So what the hell is all this? What's your part in this?”

“You all saved my life seven years ago,” Taro said. “You saved me from making worse mistakes than the ones I already had.”

“Mistakes?” Yosuke said. “Your kidnapping my friend and those other people was a mistake?”

Taro shook his head. “You'll understand soon enough, I hope. If they can save you like they saved me. Come on.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you,” Yosuke said.

“Then stay alone,” Taro said, “but don't be surprised if the Memflies do the same thing to you they did to your girlfriend.” He started down the hall.  _ Maybe it'll finally shut you up _ , he thought.

Yosuke uttered another curse and followed down the stairs. When he saw the others outside, and Chie leaning on Yukiko, he rushed past Taro and out the door. He took Chie's free arm and pulled it over his shoulder. “I'm not letting you out of my sight again,” he said.

“Okay,” Chie said, turning in his direction but looking past him. “Dokay. S'cool.”

He stared into her eyes, and he noticed that they seemed to be even paler than before.  _ Is she getting worse? _

His thought was interrupted by a flash of light and a rising sound, almost like a chorus of chimes. He turned to the source and saw the blond girl standing in front of a giant woman robed in white. At least it  _ looked _ like a woman. Instead of a face it had a series of dinner plates attached to its head.

“Gah!” he exclaimed. “Son of a bitch! What the hell is that thing?”

“Her Persona,” Yukiko said. “Shh, let her concentrate.”

“But...but...what the hell?” Yosuke said.

“Yosuke-senpai, will you shut it, please?” Nanako said. “We'll explain everything when you're ready to hear it.”

Yosuke looked down at the teenaged girl, noticing for the first time the intelligence in her eyes, the maturity in her voice. Before now he had been too busy paying attention to the can of mace in her hand. Was this girl for real? And why did she seem familiar to him all of a sudden?

“I don't...I can't...” Rise said, her voice quiet but easily audible over the near silence of the grayscale world. “It's like...she's here, but all over. Every direction, every distance I can see.”

“Is her being right here disrupting your ability to sense the rest of her?” Taro said.

“No, I don't think so. What's standing there is dimmer than she should be, but I can tell between Chie's body and the part that's missing. It's like that part's everywhere. Like it's the air itself.” She shuddered, and Kanzeon vanished. “You don't think...we're breathing her?”

“She's all around us,” Nanako said. “I think...afraid, but she's not sure why.” She looked at Chie, who was lazily, almost childishly, examining the world around them, a slight smile tugging at her slack lips. “Not the Chie we see here,” Nanako continued. “The rest of her. Lost, afraid.”

“Nanako-chan, how do you know this?” Yukiko said.

“Maybe it's part of her Persona's power,” Souji said.

“Her...Persona?” Yukiko said. “What have I missed?”

“A lot,” Taro said, “but we'll have to summarize it later.” He turned to Rise. “Is there a way you two can combine your abilities, maybe get a better idea of the nature of...whatever part of her is all around us?”

“I'm willing to try,” Rise said. “Nanako-chan?”

Nanako nodded. “I'm ready, Senpai. I hope.”

Rise pulled her card, the card of the Lovers, from her pocket and held it over her head. The card exploded and Kanzeon appeared over her in a flash of light. “Wow,” Nanako said. She felt a rush of panic as she realized she hadn't taken her own Persona card, the one it had first given her, out of her other pants. She reached into the pocket of her shorts and was pleasantly surprised to find it there, firm but flexible, with a crisp edge and warm to the touch. She pulled it out and looked at it. The inscription on the front, the scales balancing from a sword, seemed like a part of her. Something begging to be let out.

She pressed the card to her forehead and called out, “Persona!” Immediately the card burst and the winged, robed female figure of Seraph burst forth from her body. She flew up and over Kanzeon, placing her hands on Kanzeon's head.

“Whoa!” Rise said.

“Wow!” Nanako said.

“What?” Souji asked.

“It's like I've never been able to see before!” Rise said. “Like when we used to put on our glasses to see through the fog.”

“She's not just all around us, like in the air,” Nanako said, her eyes closed. “Tiny little pieces of her are...there's one now.” She pointed her finger making a lazy arc around herself. When Souji focused on that point, he could see a miniscule, almost completely invisible spot of black.

“A Memfly?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Rise said. “They were always in swarms before, but the ones with Chie-senpai's memories...they're spread all over the place.”

“So how do we collect them?” Souji said.

“Hopefully like this,” Taro said. He summoned Ame-No-Uzume, who shot in a rapid arc through the air, passing through people, trees, and houses as she collected tiny spots of white with her fans.

Yosuke cried out when the Persona swiped one of its fans through him. He was hit by a sudden wave of nausea, swallowing hard to keep everything down. “What the...?” He swallowed. “What the hell did you just do to me?”

“Calm down, you're fine,” Taro said. The Persona vanished, and a tiny sphere of light appeared in Taro's outstretched palm. It was no larger than a small pearl from an earring.

“What's...that?” Yukiko said.

“Hopefully it's your friend,” Taro said, stepping toward Chie and holding his hand out. Yosuke grabbed his wrist, but Yukiko placed a hand on Yosuke's arm. She shook her head, and after a moment Yosuke let go. Taro held his open palm before Chie's face. The tiny ball of light began to swirl, and then rivulets of white smoke streamed off it and into Chie's eyes, her nostrils and her mouth. When the sphere was gone and the vapors all absorbed, Chie took a deep breath and blinked several times.

“Chie?” Yukiko said as everyone gathered around.

Chie blinked and looked around. The color of her eyes darkened slightly. “Wha...what's happening? Where am I?” She withdrew her arms from Yosuke and Yukiko and took a shuffling step forward on her own. “What's going on here?”

Yosuke stepped in front of her. “Do you know your name?”

“My...my name?” Chie said. “Uh, it's...Sato...Sato...naka. Satonaka. Chie.” She looked down and nodded. “Yeah, Chie Satonaka. I'm...pretty sure that's it.”

Yosuke was on her in an instant, hugging her for all he was worth. “Thank God,” he said. “You're okay now!”

Chie shook her head and tried to pull out of the embrace. After a moment he let her, and she examined his face. “Um...I guess? Sorry, but...who are you?”

Yosuke's heart sunk. “You still don't remember me?”

Chie shook her head. She looked around. “Don't know any of....wait,” she said, stopping at Yukiko. “I remember...a girl with a dog. That was...you, wasn't it?”

Yukiko smiled a little. “Yes, it was. I'm Yukiko Amagi. Do you remember that?”

“It – rings a bell,” Chie said. “I think...yeah, her name was Yukiko. Amagi. Famous in town for something. I think.”

Souji stood by silently and watched, noting that Yukiko had introduced herself as 'Amagi', not 'Togashi'. Did that have some meaning, or was he reading too much into it?

“She's not better,” Yosuke said, turning to Taro. “What did you do, then?”

“I collected the parts of her that were in the immediate area,” Taro said. “All the Memflies here and there, holding all the tiny pieces of her. I was only able to pull enough together for this, though.”

“Kinda convenient that it was the part with her name, and that remembered Yukiko-senpai,” Nanako said.

“I've heard theories,” Souji said, “that the human mind stores information holographically. If someone loses a piece, like in a lobotomy, the rest of the brain still contains the same amount of information. It's harder to retrieve because the wiring's disrupted, but it's still there.”

“Wow, you're  _ so _ smart,” Rise said. Coming from anyone else, Souji would have taken it as sarcasm. He could see a few eyes rolling, though he tried to ignore them.

“So the part I recovered was some of the wiring?” Taro said.

“Maybe,” Souji said. “It's just a wild guess, really.”

“Well, a lot of what we've done over the years has been based on wild guesses,” Yukiko said. She gave Souji a wry smile. “Why stop now?”

“So if you could save that little part of her, can't you just sweep across the whole town and get the rest of her?” Yosuke said.

“Maybe,” Taro said, “assuming she's only spread across the town. Even if it was, it could take a very long time and I don't know if I've got the strength to do it.”

“Huh, sounds like you're starting to believe, Senpai,” Nanako said.

“I'm not blind,” Yosuke said. “And I don't like this any better than I did before.” Nanako rolled her eyes.

“What about Naoto and Teddie?” Souji said. “Can you see them?”

Rise summoned Kanzeon again, and Nanako brought forth Seraph to assist. They scanned for several moments, but then both Personas disappeared.

“Nothing,” Rise said. “It's like they're not even here.”

“Did they escape?” Souji said.

“Maybe,” Nanako said. “But there's no trace of them anywhere.”

“We can't help them if we can't find them,” Yukiko said. “What about that thing on the TV? What'd you call it, Souji?”

“Loki,” Souji said. “One of my Personas.”

“So you think your Persona took Chie's memories?” Yukiko said. “But aren't our Personas just extensions of ourselves? You don't think you...”

“No, he didn't,” Rise said. “I'd never believe Senpai'd do anything to hurt her. Any of us.” Souji turned to her and she gave him a warm smile. He turned away, slightly embarrassed, though he couldn't help but smile back.

“She's right,” Nanako said. “Big Bro wouldn't hurt another person, especially not one of his friends.”

“Thanks,” Souji said in a low voice. He looked up. “When I summoned my Persona Izanagi against Izanami, it wasn't just a Persona anymore. For that moment, at least, it had the power of a god,” Souji said. “It's the only way we survived. We weren't powerful enough to fight a goddess.”

“So maybe the real Izanagi merged with your Persona,” Taro said. “I mean, a god could do that kind of thing if it wanted, right?”

Souji shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Listen, guys,” Yukiko said, “I believe Souji didn't do this. I know there's a lot going on here, but we need to concentrate on how to help Chie. Once she's better we can concentrate on finding Naoto-kun and Teddie, and then figure out the rest of this.”

“Help me what?” Chie said.

“You're right, you're right,” Souji said. He glanced to the northeast.  _ Come to the Shrine. _ “There was something about the Shrine the last time we were here. Maybe we should go back there.”

“After what happened last time?” Rise said. “I'm not so sure.”

“What happened?” Nanako asked.

“Rise was attacked by Memflies there,” Souji said. “For a minute, she was lost, like Chie-chan is now.”

“So what are we doing?” Yukiko said.

Souji thought for a second.  _ Shrine. No, that's not... _ “Hill Park. We can see the whole town from there. Maybe it'll give Rise and Nanako a better vantage point, and we can figure out how to collect the rest of Chie-chan.”

“Collect me?” Chie tugged on Yukiko's sleeve. “What's he talking about? And why's he calling me 'Chie-chan'?”

Yukiko sighed. “I'll try to explain on the way,” she said. “We should get going.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This all sounds too weird,” Chie said as the stepped onto the foot path leading through the Samegawa Flood Plain.

“Tell me about it,” Yosuke said.

“So we all fought a goddess together. And these Persona-things come out of cards?” Chie asked.

“They come out of your mind,” Souji said. “The cards are symbolic.”

Chie shook her head, then turned to Yosuke. “So why're you here, if you don't believe it?”

“I'm here to help you,” Yosuke said. “Get your memories back.”

“Not really sure I want to remember,” Chie said. “This is all too weird.”

As they continued down the foot path Nanako grabbed Souji's arm. “Hold up,” she said.

“What's wrong?”

“Memflies,” Rise said, calling Kanzeon. “They're really agitated here. I think...I think they might attack if we go much further.”

“Do we turn around, find another way?” Taro asked.

“I say we fight our way through,” Nanako said.

“Even if it means hurting people in the real world?” Taro said.

Nanako opened her mouth, but then closed it. It couldn't be that bad, could it? Didn't someone tell her that nobody in the real world was  _ really _ hurt when the others fought the Memflies before? And what if they didn't have a choice?

“There's no guarantee any other path won't be the same,” Souji said. “Everyone be on guard. We'll fight if we have to, but no more than that. Yukiko, Taro-kun, you're with me. Yosuke, Chie and Nanako, stay back with Rise-chan.”

“I'm coming with  _ you _ ,” Nanako said.

Souji sighed. “Nanako...”

“You need all the fighters you can have.  _ I  _ can fight. My Persona can fight.”

Souji crossed his arms, and noticed that everyone else was watching him expectantly. He shook his head. “Fine, but you stay by me, understand?”

“Yes!” Nanako said, clenching her fist, her self-doubt gone. She ran to Souji's side. “Let's do this!”

Souji tried to ignore the chuckles from his teammates, or the disapproving grunt from Yosuke, and they pressed on. The further along they got, they could see the swarms running around each other both on the road above and in the riverbed below.

“Kids,” Nanako said. “They're kids playing.” As if the implications of their fighting the Memflies finally struck home, her confident demeanor evaporated. “Big Bro, they're not  _ really _ gonna be hurt when...”

She had no time to finish that query. The Memfly swarms started toward them, joining into one solid mass. Nanako stepped out in front of the group and spread her arms, and before Souji could say anything the mass split along the middle and surrounded them, as it had done before. They began to form a dome around the group.

“ _ Everyone be careful!”  _ Rise said to them through Kanzeon. “ _ I don't know what's...” _

The dome solidified and Rise's voice was cut off. Taro raised his hand, shedding some light so they could see.

Yukiko pulled her fan out of her blouse and opened it. She swung at the mass, and while she managed to cut a small opening, it was closed almost as soon as she finished her strike. She glanced at the others and noticed they were all empty-handed. “Where are your weapons?”

“Weapons are no good against these things,” Taro said. “You have to use elementals.”

“Great, thanks for letting me know,” she said, but kept her fan at the ready. “What part do we...”

“Wait for them to condense into single units,” Souji said.

“I'm impatient,” Nanako said. She waved her hand and a wall of light surrounded the group. Immediately waves of light ran through the Memflies, forcing them to congeal into smaller individuals, the outside light flooding in upon them again.

“ _...ear me? Senpai!” _

“Rise-chan, we're fine,” Souji said. He turned to Nanako.

“I didn't know I could do that,” Nanako said. “I just kinda...did.”

“Good work, Nanako-chan!” Yukiko said.

“Enough chit-chat,” Taro said. “They're attacking!” He dodged a tentacle of black as it swiped across his chest. He cast Ziodyne and the mass that had attacked him dispersed.

Another lunged at Yukiko. She held up her arms to guard against the attack and yelped out when it struck her.

“Yukiko!” Souji cried. “Persona!” Izanagi-no-Okami cast Bufudyne at that swarm, but another crossed in front of him and absorbed the attack, freezing into a solid block of ice and then dispersing as the block exploded.

“I'm okay,” Yukiko said. “Persona!” There was a pregnant pause where nothing seemed to happen. As she was about to say it again Amaterasu finally appeared, immediately casting Agidyne and dispersing the swarm that had attacked her.

Two more swarms stood before Nanako. She summoned Seraph, who hit them with Mahamaon. Giant cards swarmed around them and then froze in place. There was a flash of white, but after the light faded both swarms remained in place unaffected. A spear of black shot out of one of them and Nanako dropped to the ground, the spear passing through where her chest had been the instant before. “Dammit! Why didn't it work?”

“There's always a chance it can miss,” Souji said, jumping in front of her and shielding her from another attack. He cast Megidolaon, and the remaining two swarms vanished into an explosion of blue light. He took a moment to catch his breath; he was so out of practice that using his Personas like this really winded him. Particularly Izanagi, whose powered-up form seemed to draw its strength directly from his soul. “I think...I think that's all of...”

“ _ Senpai, more coming your way!” _

They spun around to see a half dozen more Memfly masses flowing toward them at high speed. These looked larger than the ones they'd just fought, and if Memflies were anything like Shadows, larger usually meant more powerful. “Everyone get behind...” he started.

“Come, Yamato-Takeru!”

A bright blue light flashed though the oncoming Memflies, immediately dispersing them all. When the light faded they could see a creature floating in the air. It was clad in gray and black with a long pointed silver helmet over its head, and wielding a samurai sword in one hand. As it vanished they saw a figure in blue standing there, its arms spread, a small pistol in one of the hands. The figure dropped its arms to its waist, and then tucked the pistol away under its jacket.

“Hello everyone,” Naoto said. “Did you miss me?”


	12. Throne

_ This is getting nowhere _ , Ryotaro thought as he squeezed between a pallet of video disc players and a section of metal shelving. All he could see in the light of his flashlight were clumps of dust and the occasional rat turd.  _ There's no trace of them, and even if they did come back out from here, the trail's long cold. _ He flicked off the pocket torch and clipped it into his belt. “Find anything, Kikuchi?”

“No sir,” said a uniformed officer examining a plastic compressor. “Though I'm not sure why we're going through all this for some knife fight. Sooner or later one of them's gonna turn up at the hospital with stab wounds.”

_ God, I hope not.  _ “Assuming the hospital doesn't think they're victims of the storm.”  _ And assuming they weren't  _ actually  _ victims of the storm. _ He sighed. “All right, pack it in.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I need to get back to the office.”

Sargent Kikuchi stepped closely so he could speak in a quiet voice. “You've been at work for at least two days straight, boss. All due respect, you need to go home and get some rest. Most of what's left with the cleanup is paperwork. Go see your daughter.”

Ryotaro sincerely doubted Nanako would be there, given what he'd seen in the security video, though now that he thought about it, it would have been a logical first place to check.  _ I really  _ am  _ tired _ , he thought. He took a moment longer to study the warehouse, though his eyes were having trouble focusing. He really did need some sleep, though until he knew Nanako and Souji were safe, he wouldn't dare take one of his prescription sleeping pills. He had to stop playing dumb and try to fix things before they got even worse. “All right, I'll go home then.”

“Need a lift?”

“Nah, I can make it. Only a few blocks.”

Kikuchi nodded, keyed his radio, and gave the order to stop the search. He received a couple acknowledgements, and then started toward the door. “So weird, though. I didn't get to see the security footage before it got sealed. Any idea what that was out there? It's like whatever it was happened in only one spot, and went away. I've never heard of that happening before with weather.”

“Mm.” Ryotaro, of course, knew full well what had caused the phenomenon that had been dubbed a “whirlwind”.  _ She _ had told him. With all he'd learned from Souji years before, as fantastic as it had sounded, he had never thought it could happen again. And he'd never expected that his Nanako would be so deeply into it. He followed Kikuchi out the door into the Electronics department, but paused in front of the same television he'd seen on the security footage, in front of which Souji and his friends had miraculously appeared.

And in front of which Nanako had attacked him with a knife. He stood with his back to the TV and looked out toward the store's main concourse.  _ Souji was about...here. Nanako was directly in front of him, and she rushed him... _ He stepped away from the spot and examined it, replaying the video in his head. They fought for it, and while they were fighting the video quit.  _ But where did they go from there? _

He glanced at the TV. Of course, it was obvious. But why would Souji have taken Nanako into the TV? Or was it an accident? Maybe they were grappling and ran into it. He examined the screen and saw it was completely caked with oily finger- and handprints. This set had obviously been on display for some time, and there was no way they'd get any usable prints off it even if that was what he was interested in. He looked up at the frame and noticed something. He moved around it until the light was at the correct angle, and saw several thick greasy streaks in the shiny black plastic. It looked like someone's head had struck it and their hair had left the mark behind.

He looked back down at the screen, reached out, and touched it. It was cool to the touch, but very solid. To  _ him  _ it was, anyway. To Souji, though, it could very well have been a portal to that other world.

_ They fought, and while they were grappling they must have bumped into the TV and fell through it. One of them hit their head on the top frame on the way in. And the other two with Souji...they must have gone in after. So what happened then? _ He studied the carpet.  _ No visible blood stains. The store would probably notify us before cleaning up blood, though I probably can't count on that. Maybe I should get the CSI guys back out here and have them check the... _

A glint of something caught his eye. He glanced down, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. He walked toward where the archway met the southern wall and examined it. The glint appeared again, and this time he could tell it was on the floor. He looked down, but it was gone again.

As he examined the floor he thought he could see a shape, just barely visible on the dark carpet. When he tried to focus on it, though, it disappeared. Whatever it was, it only seemed to be visible in his peripheral vision. He sat on his haunches, staring at a spot on the wall near the object, and soon it faded back into view. The longer he stared at the wall, which was growing increasingly difficult to his tired eyes, the clearer the object became.

Once it seemed solid enough, he pulled a latex glove from his pocket and attempted to pick it up. All his gloved hand touched was carpet. However, the item had become clear enough that he could tell what it was. A knife, quite possibly the same that Nanako had been holding. In fact, it looked a lot like one from the set at home. As best he could tell, it looked clean. If he was lucky, that would mean it hadn't actually been used successfully on either of them.

_ So they fought, and ended up in the other world. Did they drop the knife there? Is that why it looks like this? _ That made sense, since things that happened over there had an effect in the real world.

He swallowed a yawn. His brain was starting to grow foggy. He  _ really _ needed some sleep. At least he'd found the knife, and it was, apparently, inaccessible to the real world. That would make it easier to keep Nanako and Souji out of legal trouble, but what else did it prove? There was something; he felt it on the tip of his mind, but he couldn't reach it.

He stood, his aging knees protesting the motion. He'd go home, and with any luck, at least one of them would be there and could tell him what was going on. At the  _ very _ least, he might be able to clear his head a little.

_ Chisato, please keep watching over Nanako. And Souji, too. If this is as serious as it sounds, they're gonna need all the help they can get. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Naoto-kun?” Rise said. “Where...where did you come from?”

“I heard a commotion and came running.” She reflexively reached up for her cap, only remembering it was gone when she felt her hair instead. “Fortunately I didn't lose my gun when I was pulled in.”

Souji examined her. “You...okay? I mean – are you back?”

Naoto offered a small smile and nodded slowly. “Yes. I remember –  _ everything _ , now.” She looked at Souji with what he thought was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but something about it seemed a bit off. Then again, he hadn't seen or spoken to the  _ real _ Naoto in a few years, and she was bound to be at least a little different than the person he'd known before.

“That's, uh...”

“Good, we could really use your help,” Taro said, coming up from behind Souji. He bowed. “I'm...”

“Taro Namatame,” Naoto said. She bowed her head. “Yes, I remember you. And I know you've been working with Souji-kun.” She tilted her head down and looked at him from under her eyebrows. “I've been...following him for days. Before my memories returned, I suspected something was wrong, and that Souji-kun was at the center of it. Perhaps even the cause. Of course, I was more correct than I realized at the time.”

“So you're okay now?” Yukiko said.

Naoto gave her a look of genuine surprise that seemed, to Souji, a little out of place. “Of course I am. However, I would like to know what's been happening.” She looked to Nanako. “I'd be particularly interested to know the details of you having your own Persona, Nanako-chan.” She smiled.

Nanako smiled back, but only out of politeness. She felt something... _ off  _ about Naoto. She seemed all right, but it was almost as if she were hiding something. That alone was strange, because ever since Nanako had awakened to her Persona, she'd been able to get a feeling for what people were thinking. She wasn't getting anything from Naoto, other than a general sense that there was something else, something hidden just under the surface. It was probably nothing, though, and she decided to be glad that one more of their friends was back. “It's a long story.”

Souji gave a chuckle. “Yeah, and that's just part of it. I've told the whole thing a few times already.”

“Well, maybe you oughta write it down,” Rise said. “Save you some trouble, and maybe even make it into a book...”

“Guys, look, I'm glad Naoto-kun's back and all, but Chie and Teddie are still in danger,” Yukiko said. “We need to get to Hill Park if that's where we're going.”

“Right, sorry,” Souji said. “Rise-chan, how we doing on Memflies?”

“They're not as agitated anymore,” Rise said. “That's...actually kinda weird. Just a minute ago it was like the whole town was gonna come after us, but they're all calm again.”

Nanako felt the same thing Rise did. She glanced to Naoto, who was stroking her chin as if thinking. She just couldn't shake that strange feeling. What was it about her?

“Let's take advantage then,” Taro said.

With Naoto back on the team, Souji revised their formation, with him taking his usual spot at point and Taro backing him up. Nanako and Rise stayed together at the rear, and Naoto and Yukiko stayed with Yosuke and Chie. Yukiko filled in Naoto as best she could while they made their way.

After Yukiko described their speculations on Loki, Naoto said, “Hmm, now that you mention it I think I remember seeing it sometime before. But if it is indeed the god Loki and not Souji-kun's Persona, why has it taken an interest in us?”

“You guys beat up on the goddess of creation,” Nanako said. “Maybe he's trying to prove he's tough by beating us.”

“Divide and conquer,” Naoto said, thoughtfully. “A sound overall strategy, but inefficiently executed. If he had the ability to steal our memories, why not do the same to Souji-kun and wipe us out one by one?” She felt a twinge just above her right eye and winced briefly, but tried to play it off by scratching her nose. She saw that Nanako noticed this gesture, but just smiled and winked.

“Maybe it's a game to him,” Yukiko said.

“Or maybe Souji's too powerful,” Rise said. “He beat Izanami single-handedly.  _ I'd  _ be afraid of him if I were an evil god.”

“True,” Yukiko said, though she wished Rise would stop with the Souji-flattery.  _ We get it, okay? _

Souji's ears burned as he tried to ignore Rise's continued gushing about him. Was she trying to compete with Yukiko? That thought made him very self-conscious; while he still cared deeply for Yukiko and some irrational part of him thought they could still be together somehow, he couldn't forget how he felt sharing a kiss with Rise the previous evening. For those few seconds he had managed to push not just Yukiko, but all his worries out of his mind. Unlike any of the meaningless, brief flings he'd had since he and Yukiko had split, he had felt a connection in that kiss. Maybe Rise felt it too, and maybe that was why she was trying so hard.  _ Maybe I should stop worrying about Yukiko and... _

“So, uh, you and Rise-san...?” muttered Taro.

Souji turned to him in surprise. “Huh? N-no. We're not”

“Coulda fooled me,” Taro said. “I know it when I see it, and I see it when you two look at each other.”

“Taro-kun, I...”

“Look, I'm not gonna harangue you about it or anything. Just take some advice from a guy who's screwed up more times than he can count: if you think you've found it, don't let it get away. You'll regret it the rest of your life.”

Souji could think of nothing to say. Taro's lost love had practically destroyed him, and, of anyone, that made his advice all the more worthwhile. Should he really be spending his time going after Yukiko and staying blind to the feelings he knew he had for Rise?  _ Maybe...maybe it's time for me to move on. _

Chie nudged Yosuke. “Those guys really are serious about this 'god' stuff, aren't they?” she whispered.

“Yeah, 'fraid so,” Yosuke said. “But, well...we're in another world, and these guys can call these magic things out of playing cards. Be kinda stupid to insist this all isn't real since we're living it.”

“And you and I are the only ones who don't know what's going on,” Chie said. “You said my memories are all gone, so that explains me. What's your excuse?”

“What?”

“Well,” Chie said, kicking a stone out of her path, “maybe your memories are gone too, like that gray guy said.”

Yosuke shook his head vehemently. “No way. I remember everything, like when we were in high school and you and I used to try to get Yukiko-chan to help us study, and when I asked you to marry me after...” He broke off. After what? He remembered, strongly, that he  _ had _ asked Chie to marry him, and she'd finally agreed, but...when? How?

“Wait...marry  _ you _ ?” Chie said. “ _ You _ ?”

“What?” Yosuke said, a little louder than he'd wanted, drawing some stares from the others in the group. “What do you mean ' _ you _ '?”

“Well, I mean...do you think you're my type?”

“Your type? You can barely remember your name, and you think I'm not your  _ type _ ?”

“Guys,” Yukiko said.

“Stay out of this, Yukiko,” Yosuke said. “How the hell do you even think you know what your type is?”

“What are you yelling at me for?” Chie asked. “It's not like I said you  _ weren't  _ my type! You're really sensitive, you know that?”

“Hey you two, I think you should stop before you say something you'll regret later.” Yukiko quickened her pace and stepped between them. “Trust me, you  _ will _ regret it later.”

“Uh, okay, if you say so,” Chie said.

Yosuke clicked his tongue. “Yeah, of course you jump to her side, 'Prince Charm- _ mmph _ !'”

Yukiko slapped her hand over his mouth. “Yosuke, I swear if you don't shut up, I'm going to ...”

“ _ Ahem _ – I think this is close enough,” Rise interrupted, stopping in her tracks. “Persona!” Kanzeon appeared above her, and a second later Nanako summoned Seraph.

While Kanzeon normally made a passive sonar-like bleeping noise while scanning, Rise willed her to bleat as loudly as possible, if only to discourage any more arguing. She hoped beyond hope that they'd find a way to save Yosuke soon. His Memfly-induced personality was truly grating on her nerves, and she didn't have to be psychic to know it was the same with everyone else. She did her best to focus all her concentration on scanning the town in conjunction with Nanako.

As they scanned, the others walked up to the wooden fence and looked over the whole of Reverse Inaba. It was all drab gray, except for a barely-detectible hint of color near the center of town. Souji knew well what that was. For some reason his eyes were drawn to it, and he had difficulty looking away. He could almost feel a compulsion to stare into it, as if doing so would give him the answers he so desperately needed.

After a few minutes, Nanako said over Kanzeon's bleeping, “Wait, Senpai, stop. That's it.”

“No, it has to be somewhere else,” Rise said. “We gotta keep looking...”

“No, I'm pretty sure that's it.” Nanako dismissed Seraph, and with a sigh, Rise released Kanzeon.

“What is it?” Taro asked.

Rise opened her eyes. “No.”

“Senpai?” Nanako said. “You okay?

“Please...please anywhere but there.”

“Where?” Naoto said.

“The Shrine in the Shopping District,” Souji said, still staring at the faint green glow.  _ Of course, I should have known. _

“What's wrong?” Yukiko said.

“If it's at the Shrine, then that's where we have to go,” Taro said. “It might be the only way to end this.”

“But...but I can't,” Rise said. Her body started to tremble. “I just...I can't...go  _ there _ .”

“Hey, look,” Nanako said, reaching out and stroking her bare arm, “you're not gonna get hurt again. Big Bro's not gonna let that happen, right?”

Souji jumped when he heard his name and spun around. “R-really?” Rise said. She ran to Souji and latched onto him with a tight embrace. “Please, Senpai. Please promise you won't let me get hurt again.”

“I...uh, I promise,” Souji said. Then, feeling a little more sure, “Of course I promise.” He placed his arms around her. “I won't let anything happen to you. Or anyone.”

Yukiko watched this, and couldn't help but feel a little pang. Here was Rise, acting as if they were all still teenagers again, glomming onto Souji as she always had. But was she actually feeling jealous?  _ No, of course I'm not _ , she thought. She still cared for Souji, but not that way. Concerned, perhaps? Maybe she was afraid Rise was insincere about her affections, and would end up breaking Souji's heart.  _ Like I did _ , she thought, though she was sure their breakup had been at least as hard on her as it had him. She'd gotten over him, though, and had her own life to live now. But was she  _ really _ over him? Did some part of her, deep down, want him back?

“If I may,” Naoto said, “I believe we should avoid the Shrine at all costs.”

The others turned to her. “Why?” Nanako asked.

“I just...it's a feeling I have,” Naoto said. “I can't explain it.”

Yukiko shook her head, though glad for the interruption of her thoughts. “No, you don't go on just 'feelings'. You've always relied on evidence. You've got to tell us why.”

“I...I can't,” Naoto said. “It's just...ever since I woke up here, I've heard a little voice inside my head, telling me to avoid that place.” She turned to Nanako, who nodded in agreement. “I wish I could be more specific, but I cannot.”

“If that's where we can help Chie then I'm going there,” Souji said. “You can go back if you want.” He turned to Yosuke. “That goes for you too. I'm taking Chie in, but you're free to go back.”

“I'm not leaving you alone with her for a second,” Yosuke said.

Souji nodded, as if Yosuke had actually agreed with him. “Anyone else?”

“I'm coming,” Yukiko said immediately.

“You can count on me,” Taro said.

“And me!” Nanako said.

“I don't have a choice, do I?” Chie said.

“Not really,” Nanako whispered to her.

Rise pulled away from Souji and stared into his eyes. She wanted to believe he'd protect her, but still something stuck in the back of her mind, filling her with dread at the prospect of facing that place again. Of course, they needed her. They probably couldn't do – whatever they had to do – without her.

“I promise you I'll protect you,” Souji said again.

Rise continued staring at him for a moment longer, and then nodded. “Okay. I – I can do this.”  _ If I'm with you, I can do anything.  _ She took Souji's hand. She felt him shake a little in her grip, but the trembling stopped when she squeezed his hand.  _ I'll be your strength, and you be mine. _

Everyone turned to Naoto, whose hands were at her hips. She sighed and pulled out her gun. She checked the chamber and, satisfied it was fully loaded, tucked it back into her coat. “We'd best get going, then,” she said. “Chie-chan and Teddie are probably running out of time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their trek from Hill Park to the Shopping District was uneventful, with none of the hostile Memflies Rise had feared. Souji stayed in the lead, with Taro falling back to walk with Rise and Nanako, and Naoto taking his place at Souji's side. As they continued north through the neighborhood, they began to see a green light as they had during their first visit. It intensified the further they went.

“That's...almost beautiful,” Yukiko said.

“It's malevolent,” Nanako said, absently. Then, with a glance to Rise, “Uh, I mean...it's...um...”

“It's okay,” Rise said, without really feeling it. “I'll - I'll be okay.”

The shrine itself was as Souji, Rise, and Taro had seen it the previous day; the light was so intense they could see nothing within it. It was both beautiful and frightening, but for Souji there was something about it almost  _ comforting _ . He could just hear a whisper in the back of his mind, telling him he needed to continue inside. It had spoken to him the day before as well, and his entry was interrupted only by the attack on Rise. Now, though, she'd be okay. The whispering told him so.  _ Answers _ , he thought.  _ You told me there are answers in there. _

_ Yes, answers. The answers to all your questions. Just come a little closer. A little closer... _

A hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned to see that it belonged to Naoto. “No, Souji-kun, don't,” she said. “I can't say why, but please don't go in there.”

The whispering ceased and Souji felt his senses return to him. He thought he could see something in Naoto's eyes when she looked into the green light. It was fear, but not of the unknown. Naoto looked like she knew, or at least had some idea, of what danger was within the green light. “Can't or won't?” he said.

“Senpai?” Rise said, her voice shaky. “M-maybe she's right. You sh-should come back here with us.”

“I have to go in there,” Souji said, his eyes still on Naoto's. She looked up at him, and for a brief instant he thought he saw her eyes flash a different color. He blinked, and looking again saw they were blue-green, as always. It must have been a trick of the light behind him, reflecting on her. “Everyone stay back.”

“No way,” Taro said, stepping forward. “I think she's right, too.”

“There's something in there,” Nanako said. “I can...feel it, but it's almost too hard to see. Blinding.” She turned to Rise, who was hugging herself and shivering. She out a hand on Rise's arm, and felt the goosebumps on it. “Rise-senpai, I think we might be able to see what's inside if we work together.”

Rise shook her head. “N-no...I can't...”

“Rise-chan,” Yukiko said. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Rise said. “I...feel something. In my head. It's...talking to me. Says it wants me back.” She looked down to the ground at her feet, at her shoes, the tan canvas and her red polished nails peeking out from the front, both now covered with the gray dust of this world. The ground seemed to rise toward her, her feet and legs becoming absorbed into the concrete. She felt like she was sinking into the earth, just like in that dream about the pit of Memflies in the Garden of Eden. “I was standing right here. Right here. When it...it...”

“That won't happen,” Taro said. He put his hands on her shoulders and she turned up to him. “This time we know what to expect. I won't let them take you again. Or anyone else.”

Rise gave a small smile. Taro's words, his resolute countenance, gave her a little strength. While she and Taro had come to an understanding, though, his support was not what she needed. Souji was her strength; he always had been. She glanced over to him, but he was staring into the green light again. She felt very worried for him that moment. He looked as if Naoto's grasp was the only thing keeping him from going in. She tried to step forward, but her legs felt locked in position.

_ That should be me there to help him,  _ she thought.  _ C'mon, you can do it. Just go over to him. _ Her feet wouldn't respond.  _ I need to be your strength, because I really need yours right now. _ She had loved him almost from the moment they met, and that had not lessened when she first learned his heart didn't truly belong to her. Now, though, she found herself reflecting on the things she'd said and done this day and wondered if she were really as important to him as he was to her. She'd felt an overwhelming need to be close to him, almost to possess him. Had she said or done anything to Yukiko? Yukiko was her friend, too, even if she had broken Souji's heart. Were those things that had taken her mind away still there, driving her to  _ love _ him even more? To somehow push him away by trying to possess him even more?

She wasn't about to let herself be used. She took a deep breath, turned to Nanako, and nodded. “Let's do it.” Taro stepped back as the two summoned their Personas. As soon as they joined Rise could feel something inside the Shrine. Inside the green light.  _ A person? No, it's...two of them...  _ “This isn't just light,” she said. “It's...Memflies. A different kind, but I can see the individual Memflies in it.”

“People's hearts are in there,” Nanako said. “Little pieces, but there are two whole ones in there, too. One of them's barely there, but the other...” The other seemed familiar to her, but it wasn't the rest of Chie or Yosuke.

“If they're Memflies, I can get rid of them,” Taro said. “Persona!” Ame-no-Uzumi appeared and charged headlong into the light. The green grew in intensity for an instant, and then was siphoned away into her fans. When the light had mostly cleared, they could hear a new sound. Clapping, slow and methodical. “What the hell?” Taro said, releasing his Persona and allowing the green Memflies to trickle off into the atmosphere. Appearing around the shrinking light was a throne, golden and opulent with carvings of foxes all around it. The carvings moved, some playing with each other, others observing them all and stalking slowly around its perimeter.

As the light vanished completely they could see the figure sitting in it. It was tall and thin, sitting with one leg crossed over the other. It had gray hair and was clad in a crisp black Yasogami High School uniform.

It was another Souji Seta.

This other Souji stopped clapping and placed a finger at his chin, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips. He opened his eyes to reveal they were bright, glowing yellow.

“What?” Souji said, the blood draining from his face. “No...you can't...this can't...”

“I  _ can _ , and I  _ am _ ,” Shadow Souji said. “But you already know that, don't you?”

“Big...Bro?” Nanako asked, stepping forward and gripping Souji's arm. “That's...your Shadow?”

Shadow Souji turned to her. “Little Sis,” he said. “So young, so innocent. Well, not so much of either anymore, are you? You've become quite the little cynic. And you can curse pretty well, too. I guess it's about time Daddy actually taught you something other than how to do chores...”

“Stop,” Souji said, stepping in front of Nanako. “You don't talk to her.”

Shadow Souji raised his eyebrows. “I don't? And what gives you the right to tell me what to do? The 'leader'? They called you that so many times you started to believe it, but deep down, you always knew the truth.”

He cast his yellow gaze upon the others. “You all look so surprised,” he said. “You all thought I was so perfect. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. A little bit, anyway.” The Shadow stood and approached Souji. “So pathetic. I'm so pathetic. You all think I'm this great leader, that I'm so cool and collected.” It scoffed. “I'm such a wimp. I can't handle pressure, but because I just internalize it all you  _ think _ I can. I don't share with others, because I  _ can't _ . I can't even say 'I love you' to my Little Sis without feeling like it's forced. It's just not the way a  _ real  _ man does things. You handle your problems and your feelings, and don't bother other people with them because, in the end, they're  _ yours _ to deal with. But I couldn't handle it all, could I?”

Shadow Souji pursed his lips and cast his piercing gaze at Souji. “Panic attacks. Self-pity over all of you forgetting me. Boo-fucking-hoo. Did any of you ever think of taking the time to come visit  _ me _ ? Call me, send an e-mail? No, of course not. 'Souji come see me'. 'Souji meet me here'. 'Souji let's go into the TV'. For God's sake, can't you people do  _ anything _ on your own?”

“No,” Souji said. “Please, I beg you, stop.”

“Senpai...” Rise said. Her fear of the Shrine all but forgotten now, she stepped forward and took his hand. He yanked it away, afraid to even look at her for the pain he was sure he would see in her face. For fear that his Shadow might see it and decide to say things he  _ really _ didn't want said.

“You don't have to do this,” Souji continued.

“Of course I do,” Shadow Souji said. “I've been dying to say it for years.” He tilted his head and tapped a finger on Souji's forehead. The touch felt hot, but Souji willed himself not to flinch. “Why are you afraid? You won't be so perfect in their minds anymore? That's your problem. You're... _ I'm _ so afraid of people knowing that I just don't have it all together that I can't let them into my heart. Not all the way. But I find a way into  _ theirs _ , don't I?” He turned to Yukiko, who took a half step back. “You, what do you know about me, really? Not jack shit, I'd bet. You had no idea that I never wanted to break up with you, that every single day afterward I sank deeper and deeper because we weren't together anymore and I knew we couldn't be. You had no idea I almost asked you to marry me.” Yukiko gasped, and he gave a smug grin. “Good, just the reaction I was hoping for. You think you can read me, but you never once got  _ that _ . And, my little Snow Child, you haven't bothered to see the fact that I'm  _ still _ in love with you, even though you're married to another man.”

Yukiko's mouth fell open. She glanced to Souji, whose head was down with eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Wait, that's not...”

“And then there's little Rise-chan, the girly star,” Shadow Souji announced, interrupting her. He glided over to her, and Rise found her legs locked in place again, unable to back away. He reached out to touch her, but she recoiled. “You've been trying to get in my pants practically since the day we met. Don't think I didn't see it, even back then. Don't think I didn't  _ enjoy _ it, either. If I hadn't been so blinded I would've been with you instead of  _ Togashi _ over there. You were the last one I stopped talking to, because I wanted you. And yet like an idiot I was still pining for my ex...my  _ married _ ex, all the time lamenting that I couldn't be happy while still trying to blind myself to the fact that I thought I could be happy with you.”

Rise finally found the strength to back away from the Shadow and closer to Souji. “Senpai, is this...”

“Stop it,” Souji said, his cheeks flushed and his voice quivering. “Y-you've made your point.”

Shadow Souji frowned and looked up to the sky, as if deep in thought. “No, I don't think I have. Even now you're trying to think how you can smooth this out. You think you're above it all, that everyone had to show their dark side but you. Well, now that I'm here, and that I've thoroughly humiliated you, what do you have to say? Going to deny me? Turn me into some giant perversion of myself while you play that heavy guitar music in your head? Gonna summon your Personas to defeat me?”

“No,” Souji said, feeling prickles of cold sweat all over his body. “I...I can't deny you.” He turned to face everyone for the first time since his Shadow had appeared, and they could see he had gone deathly pale. “I resented you all for so long. I think...because I resented myself.” He turned back to the Shadow. “You're doing this because you...because  _ I _ want to destroy everything I have, right?” The Shadow shrugged, and Souji continued, “Yes, I should have called more often, should have come visit, but none of you reached out to me either.” He glanced over to Yosuke, and then down at Naoto. “Some of you seemed to love being hostile toward me so much that I've been wondering if that was how things were supposed to be.”

“Oh, the stories I could tell about  _ that _ one,” Shadow Souji interrupted. “Blue hair hides wicked spirit...but I like to keep a few secrets, after all.” He stepped up to Souji. “You're making a mistake in thinking about me as your Shadow, at least in the same context that you faced their Shadows before. I'm much more than that.” He raised a hand and a tree to the left of the throne split open, revealing a small metallic sphere. The sphere grew to over a meter in diameter and turned transparent, allowing them to see what was within. Spinning slowly, arms and legs slack, was the round blue and white form of Teddie.

“Teddie!” Yosuke shouted, rushing forward and only stopping when Taro shot an arm out to restrain him. “You son of a bitch, I  _ knew _ it was you!” He tried to step around Taro's arm, but Taro stayed in his way. “Lemme go! I'm gonna kill him!”

Shadow Souji rolled his eyes “Oh, for God's sake, doesn't that thing come with an 'off' switch?” Rise thought she heard an echo of Shadow Souji's words, but when she looked up at Souji she saw he had started speaking the same words, at the same time, as his Shadow. That made this all real to her. She finally understood it: this was really Souji's Shadow, reflecting the innermost desires of his heart. Souji thought she was only trying to get into bed with him, even back when they were teenagers. Was that how the others had seen it? Did they all believe her to be that shallow? And yet...Souji was in love with her, too. One thing she knew for sure was that their Shadows didn't lie, even if they had a penchant for exaggeration. Souji was in love with her, and with Yukiko, and the Shadow made it sound almost as if it were a dead heat between them. While she already knew she'd be competing with her for his affection, she found herself afraid that she couldn't live up to his expectations.  _ What if he does see me as just a fling, or a crush? _ she thought. And then it dawned on her.  _ Wait – why am I even thinking about this right now? _

“Actually, now that I think of it, I think it  _ does _ come with an 'off' switch,” Shadow Souji continued, interrupting Rise's introspection. “Let's make this my gift to you all, since you won't have to hear his bitching any longer.” He gestured to his right, and from behind the throne walked another  _ Yosuke _ . This one was a bit shorter than the real one, the hair a bit shaggier, and dressed in the same school uniform as Shadow Souji, except with a pair of headphones around its neck. It glared at the real Yosuke with its own pair of yellow eyes.

“Well, looks like you've managed to get quite a few 'friends' over the years,” Shadow Yosuke said. “Isn't that just great? More ties to keep you bound to this stupid little town where people still treat you like some kind of invader.” He crossed his arms and approached Yosuke. Yosuke stepped between Chie and the Shadow. “Oh yeah, so you finally get a chance to protect her. First time in a long time, huh? The last time was when you faced  _ her _ Shadow, and she's been upstaging you ever since.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Yosuke threw his arms up. “Someone tell me what the hell's going on!”

“Every other time she's watched out for you. When she's not beating you up, that is! Such a pain in the ass! Such a  _ nice _ piece of ass, though.” Chie gasped as Shadow Yosuke started to ogle her, but Yosuke rushed the Shadow and gripped the lapels of its uniform jacket.

“You watch your goddamn mouth or I'll knock it off your face!” Yosuke shouted into the Shadow's face.

The Shadow laughed back in his. “Like you've ever won a fight without using your Persona. Why don't you just relax? I'm just saying what you're thinking. At least you're not all alone anymore, right? You're gonna marry her, right? He told you that, right Chie? That's right, he thinks you two're engaged. Thought he gave you a ring and all that other bullshit, but it's just a delusion. Just like everything else.” Shadow Yosuke pointed to Souji. “And this guy – he did more for you than anyone else, and you've been treating him like shit all this time. You're lucky he didn't beat the crap out of you earlier.”

“W-what are you?” Yosuke said, finally releasing the Shadow's lapels.

“I'm you. The  _ rest _ of you. With all the memories, and without that thing in your head making you act like an idiot!”

“T-thing? In my head? No! No, it can't...”

“You can't deny it. How is it that everyone else remembers Souji-kun but you? Didn't you ever stop to think how strange that was? Or are you just gonna go on being the stupid one of the group?” Shadow Souji cleared his throat. Shadow Yosuke, apparently irritated at being interrupted in the middle of his diatribe, turned to him. “What?”

“Do you mind? I'm getting bored.”

Shadow Yosuke sighed. “Fine.” He turned back to Yosuke. “Guess  _ my _ 'fearless leader' wants to get this over with. Might as well, I guess, and avoid that whole big battle thing. My battle form looks stupid anyway. Well, ready or not, here I come.” A blue flame appeared around his body and he stepped forward. Yosuke found himself unable to move, every one of his muscles taut, as the Shadow passed into him. The blue aura engulfed his own body, and almost immediately his muscles all relaxed and dropped him to his knees. Images flooded his mind. He found himself wandering through strange places, fighting strange creatures. No, he didn't find himself there, he  _ remembered _ being there. Always at Souji's side.

He took a deep breath, and exhaled until his chest hurt. Everyone watched as black smoke poured out of his face as it had with the others, but this time the smoke seemed different. Maybe because they were in the Shadow World this time, they could see the smoke was actually a swarm of Memflies flowing out of him. Instead of dissipating as the smoke had done before, it drifted toward Shadow Souji's open palm. In his hand the Memflies condensed into a sphere no larger than a ping pong ball. He looked at the undulating sphere for a moment, poked it with a curious finger – and then clenched his fist, crushing it. There was a high-pitched squeal that lasted half a second, and then all was silent again. He opened his hand and turned his palm to the ground, black soot falling from it. Yosuke fell onto his hands, his head bobbing forward. Taro caught him before he could fall the rest of the way and laid him gently down on the pavement. “C-can't...isn't...wha...?” Yosuke said, his voice breathy.

“That's better,” Shadow Souji said, slapping his palms together and dispersing the rest of the sooty black mess. “I used to like those things until Loki started using them as his own puppet strings.” There was a clap of thunder from overhead. Shadow Souji turned his head upward. “You don't like it? Tough! Go play in someone else's sandbox!”

"Is – is this some kind of game to you?" Rise said, stepping forward boldly. "Playing with people's minds and getting a laugh out of it? I can't believe you're a part of our Souji!"

"Believe it," Shadow Souji said. "Or don't, it doesn't really matter to me. There's so little you know about 'your' Souji, after all." He turned to Souji. "Shall I go on?"

"No," Souji said almost immediately, his eyes screwed shut.

"Ah, no meaning 'yes'," Shadow Souji said. "Of course, you still cling to the belief that you can control this situation. You believe you can control anything and anyone, don't you? Such the master manipulator, pulling the strings in people's minds, saying what they want to hear so they'll like you. And yet, at the same time, you believed you were above them all, didn't you? The quiet observer, speaking only when you needed to, only taking the lead when you absolutely had to. Otherwise you just went with the flow, channeling others' desires because you knew it was the surest way to win. And through it all you kept getting more and more powerful, surpassing your friends by leaps and bounds. And when you fought Izanami, oh,  _ that  _ was the moment of truth. For one moment, you controlled a god.” He placed himself within a few centimeters of Souji's face. “You believed that made  _ you _ a god."

"Stop it," Souji said, his voice quiet. “Please.”

"How you marveled at your power. What a piece of work you were! How like an angel! How like a god! You thought you were invincible, flying high in the clouds, looking for your own Mount Olympus from which to rule. And then it all changed, didn't it?" He turned to Yukiko. "You know what I'm talking about. He was going to marry you. That was the plan: settle down with you in Inaba, raise a family of little Soujis and Yukikos..." he sighed. "So romantic. But he never got the chance. That was the last time you saw each other in person. You broke up with him months later, and you never even knew." Shadow Souji traced a line from his eye down his cheek. "So sad. Would you have broken it off if you'd known?

“But that's not the important part,” he continued before Yukiko could even think to reply. “When that happened, Souji realized he wasn't invincible. He  _ wasn't _ a god. And then he realized that he'd actually begun to  _ think _ of himself as a god, and he started to resent himself for it. He couldn't accept the fact that his ego had grown too large for his own head, so he buried it deep down and started his downward spiral of endless introspection, panic attacks, and workaholism. Trying to atone for the time when he'd dared believe that he was somehow special, a diamond among pebbles, all the while trying to  _ forget  _ that he was special.” He pouted toward Souji. “Oh, don't look so shocked. Even now you're thinking you can defeat me, because you know the secret. Just accept me and move on, right? I'll turn into some Persona, like Humuhumunukunukuapua'a or Mahnamana, or some other mouthful that'd pledge its unlife to you. If I were any old Shadow, that might be true. But it's not, for you've probably guessed, I am the  _ god _ of this world.” He spread his arms. “All this is mine. I control it. The Memflies, everything within it is  _ mine _ . And you. I can do with you what I wish.” He winked at Rise, his eyes traveling up and down her body. “Wanna guess my first wish?”

Souji leaped between his Shadow and Rise, his mental strength suddenly restored. "Stop it! Right now!"

Rise very seldom felt self-conscious; it was a side effect of her status as an idol. However, seeing the face of the man she desired looking at her as if she were some cheap harlot made her feel very exposed in her skirt and low-cut blouse, the same outfit with which, only hours before, she had intended to seduce the real Souji.  _ Is this...how you really feel, Senpai? Or is it just another exaggeration? _

"And finally I get a real rise out of you. No pun intended."

“So wait,” Nanako said, hoping she could steer this conversation in a different direction. “How do we know you're not just Loki in disguise?” Nanako said.

“Loki?” Shadow Souji scoffed. “Of course not. Loki is a trickster, does what he wants when he wants just  _ because _ he wants. His only purpose is his own entertainment.” He turned to Souji. “No, I have lived in this world since the first moment you entered it. The night you first saw Mayumi Yamano on the Midnight Channel.”

“But...that means you've been here seven years?” Rise said. “How come we never saw you before?”

“I didn't want to be seen,” Shadow Souji said. “I needed time to grow, to learn. I had all this power and, at the time, no idea where it came from. So I sat back and observed.” He tilted his head toward Souji. “I was there when you first used your Persona, and that was when I realized just what you were. What  _ I _ was.” He sighed. “Incomplete. An echo of a guarded mind. But then I came to learn something more. I was the self-confidence you never had but always put on for the others' sake, even when you wanted nothing more than to run away and hide. You were never ready for the responsibility of being a big brother, much less the leader of a group facing death. Only with the strength of will I represent could you do everything you did. So I lent it to you. The powers of the Wild Card are far more than just the ability to call more than one Persona. It was more than enough to hide myself from  _ you _ lot.”

“But how do you know things about him from after that time?” Nanako said.

“Our connection goes beyond the physical. I saw everything that happened to him, felt everything he felt, thought everything he thought.”

“Wait – if  _ you're _ the master here, why did we see Loki in the TV?” Taro asked.

“Just because I'm the master doesn't mean I don't tolerate others in my realm. Loki has his own agenda, and as long as it doesn't run counter to mine, I don't give two shits what he does.”

“And the Memflies?” Rise said. “They're yours too?”

Shadow Souji shrugged. “They're Loki's. I thought they were interesting, though, so I kept them around. Our friend the trickster didn't count on the fact that, since they're in my world, I can do with them what I want.”

Yosuke moaned and tried to stand. Yukiko and Taro helped him to his feet. “Oh man,” he said. “I – I feel like...” he looked at Souji, and then at Shadow Souji. “Ah, crap.”

“You okay?” Souji said not taking his eyes off his Shadow.

“Not really,” Yosuke said. “Feel like I just took a critical hit to the nads, but in my head.”

“And, of course, our Yosuke comes up with the dumbest metaphor I've ever heard,” the Shadow said with a laugh.

Naoto had been watching the exchange, but only half-listening. The voice in her head had dominated her attention.  _ You see, don't you? You do see it. He is the darkness behind this all. The power of a demon. You have to stop him, Detective. _

_ I – I can't. He's too powerful. _

_ Maybe, but he's starting to crack. Look at him.  _ She focused on Souji.  _ His mind grows more fragile by the minute. Bide your time. Use that patience you've spent so long cultivating. Wait until he is at his weakest, and then strike. You will save the world from a fate worse than death, all with a single blow. _

“I'm still waiting for that apology you know you owe me, Yosuke- _ kun _ ,” Shadow Souji said, emphasizing the honorific tauntingly.

“I don't...owe you a damn thing!” Yosuke said, stabbing his finger toward the Shadow as he tried to remain standing on weak legs.. “You're the reason this happened to us all in the first place!” He glanced to Souji, who was watching him with surprise. He realized that he'd been pointing at Souji, not the Shadow, and immediately redirected his aim. “I mean...not you. Your Shadow.”

“But 'his Shadow' is also him,” Shadow Souji said. “You of all people ought to know that, especially right this...”

“Oh, enough of your crap!” Yosuke said.

“Well  _ that's _ gratitude,” Shadow Souji scoffed. “Not even a 'Thanks Souji-kun for getting me my memories back.'”

“Just give us back Chie and Teddie!” Yosuke shouted. He grabbed Souji's sleeve, but Souji started and jumped away from him. “Look, just...tell him you accept him or whatever, and make him give them back!”

“I – I...can't...” Souji said. He'd already told the Shadow he wasn't denying it, but it hadn't been enough. It was still here, tormenting him, as if it were waiting for something else. Something he apparently couldn't give yet.

“What?”

Shadow Souji laughed. “That's right. I told you before, I'm not just a simple Shadow. And why should I give your friends back? You need incentive to return.”

“What if we defeat you now?” Taro said. “Then we take Chie-san and Teddie back with us, and this world goes back to what it was.”

“You could try, but you won't get far,” Shadow Souji said. He looked at Souji, whose head was down. “You can't do much of anything without my leadership, and I'm nowhere near ready to face myself in battle, am I?”

“No,” Souji said.

“So much for the strength of the leader, hmm?” Shadow Souji grinned. “You know what, though? You're coming back. I have no doubt of it now.” He waved a finger at the sphere holding Teddie and it sailed toward the team. He snapped his fingers and the sphere vanished, dropping Teddie onto the ground.

Yosuke rushed to him, leaving a confused Chie behind. “Teddie? Hey, Teddie, can you hear me?” He patted the costume, but after receiving no response, pulled the head off.

The costume was completely empty. “What the...?” He turned to Shadow Souji. “What did you do with the rest of him?”

“Oh, that's right. He lost part of himself too, didn't he?” Shadow Souji said.

“Give him back or I swear I'll beat you to death!”

Shadow Souji raised his eyebrows. “Your memories are back, but Loki's still got his grubby fingers in your little brain, I see. Interesting...”

“Huh? What?”

“I think that's enough for now,” Shadow Souji said, waving off the question. He raised a hand in the air and the team braced themselves for an attack. They could see a black cloud collecting overhead.

“Memflies!” Rise shouted. “They're – they're gonna attack!” She summoned Kanzeon, hoping she would provide at least a little protection from them. She was terrified with the idea of having her mind siphoned out of her again, tiny pieces of her spreading across a malicious swarm of Memflies. It had been a violation beyond any she had ever imagined, and it had only lasted a few seconds. She could only imagine what the remainder of Chie's missing self was suffering through.

The Memflies collected, swarmed and swirled...and then funneled down into Shadow Souji's extended hand. As they descended they turned red and then white, wisps of black seeping away. Once the cloud was exhausted he held a white sphere in his hand, about the size of a pomegranate.

“Neat trick, wouldn't you say, Taro-kun? Sorry to steal your thunder. A little gift for my friends Chie-chan and Teddie,” he said, and blew on the sphere. Bits of white flew away from it into a stream that split into two, one flying at an incredulous Chie's face and the other into the empty Teddie “costume”.

Chie began to shake as the tendrils of white entered her, and when it was all absorbed she collapsed. Yukiko caught her, struggling under Chie's weight, and Taro helped her lower Chie gently to the ground.

Yosuke was upon her in an instant, speaking her name repeatedly. Her eyes remained open and nearly-lifeless for several seconds, but then she started blinking rapidly. Yosuke could see her irises returning to their normal, deep brown. She started breathing heavily, but quickly calmed down as her eyes rolled toward Yosuke. “Y-Yosuke?” she said.

“Chie?” He touched her cheek. “You – you know me?”

“Yeah,” she said, and started shivering. “Y-Yosuke...what...I'm so... _ scared _ ...”

Yosuke pulled her up into an embrace. “Shh, shh, it's okay. You're okay now.”

Her arms slid up his back, and the squeezed him weakly. “Yosuke...I was so scared...so...scared...”

“S-Sensei?”

Yosuke glanced back and gasped when he saw Teddie's headless costume sit up on its own. He had only ever seen that once before, and it still creeped him the hell out. Teddie's headless body rolled around on the ground like a turtle stuck on its back, before finding it and managing to stand back up. “Sensei, is it you? I came in to find you – but I diidn't know it was you, and...” When he noticed there were two Soujis, he said, “Uh oh...”

Souji was still staring at his Shadow. The Shadow smiled and glanced over his shoulder at him. “Flee, now. Go ahead. Your friends need rest. And I think you need some time for introspection, brooding, and all those other wonderfully boring things you do when you're alone.” The Shadow strode easily back to his throne and sat. “I'll be right here.” He flicked a finger and there was a gigantic puff of smoke from behind them. They all turned to the street outside the shrine to see a giant wide-screen television set, its screen rolling with digital static.

“C'mon,” Souji said, turning back to Chie. She locked eyes with him, and he immediately turned away in shame. “We're going back.”

“Wait, no!” Nanako said, jumping in front of him. “That's not it! It can't be! Persona!” Seraph appeared and shot toward Shadow Souji. It struck the Shadow and bounced off, dissipating into white vapor. “That's...no, that's not it!” She turned to the others. “We're gonna fight him, right? Fix all this?” She turned to Yukiko. “Right, Yukiko-senpai?” Yukiko's eyes were on the ground in front of her. “Rise-senpai?” Rise dismissed Kanzeon and looked at Nanako for a moment, but then turned away. “Nao...” She turned to Naoto, but Naoto was still staring at Shadow Souji. Her mouth was moving, but no sound came out of it. “What's the matter with you all?” Nanako said. “This is a Shadow! This is the thing that controls the Memflies! What are we gonna do about it?”

Souji walked past her and knelt down next to Yosuke and Chie. “S-Souji-kun...” Chie said. “Souji-kun, I...”

Souji shook his head and gripped her shoulder. “I'm so sorry,” he said. He turned to Yosuke. “To both of you. This is all my fault.” Then he stood, strode toward the TV, and then stepped through.

“Big Bro?” Nanako said, all bravado lost from her voice. She turned to Shadow Souji. “What did you do to him, you son of a bitch?”

“Obviously your leader is more of the 'silent' type than the 'strong' type. Now beat it, you're getting on my nerves..” He flicked a finger and Nanako went flying, screaming as she did so, through the TV. “Anyone else?”

Taro, who had instinctively dodged Nanako as she was flung through the air, knew this was over. He wished it wasn't, but he could already see that this encounter had taken its toll on everyone. Without Souji, the others didn't seem to have much of a will to fight. The only one who had was just flicked away like an annoying insect. There was nothing they could do now except regroup and hope Souji got his head back together before something worse happened. “Come on, everyone. Yosuke-san, bring Chie-san. Yukiko-san, help... _ that _ ,” he gestured to Teddie. He then turned to Rise, who was standing perfectly still, her lip trembling and tears welling up in her eyes. He placed a hand on her arm. “Rise-san, come on.”

“Senpai...no...” she said, choking back a sob as a single tear ran down her cheek. “Don't leave us...”

“He didn't leave you. I think – I think he saved you from a hopeless situation.” Rise looked up a Taro, and while she knew he meant well, it wasn't much help to her. Numb, she turned and followed Taro toward the TV, stepping through while Taro stayed behind.

“Yukiko-san, come on,” he said

“Wait, what's going on?” Teddie said. “Where did Sensei go? Why isn't anyone  _ talking _ to me?”

“Teddie, come on,” Yukiko said. “I'll tell you everything soon.” She took his arm and literally pulled him along.

When they reached the TV, Teddie said, “Wait, I know you. You're the Numanuma guy, ri-ieee!” He was cut off as Yukiko pushed him through the TV. She followed him without a word.

“Guys, come on,” Taro said.

“Chie, c'mon, let's go.” Yosuke helped her stand, but she lingered for a moment, staring at Shadow Souji.

“Well, go on, Prince Charming,” Shadow Souji said.

“Why...why did you do this to me?” Chie asked, still trembling. She clenched her fists shut, and then shouted, “What gives you the right?”

“ _ I _ didn't. That was Loki and his Memflies. You should be  _ thanking _ me.”

“Yeah, I'll thank you. When – when I get back here, I'm gonna thank you with my foot up your ass!”

Shadow Souji shook his head. “Always the same old Chie, thinking you can solve everything with your supposed mastery of kung fu. Well, come on back and feel free to try it.” He spread his hands. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Chie, c'mon,” Yosuke said, and she finally followed him, her steps slow and deliberate. Yosuke avoided looking at Taro as he and Chie stepped through the screen.

Just before Taro stepped through it himself Shadow Souji said, “He pities you, you know.”

Taro stopped and looked back. “I'm pitiable,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“If he didn't need you, he wouldn't have thought to come to you for help.”

“I know,” Taro said, “and I'm glad he needed me.”

Shadow Souji pursed his lips. “You're pretty unflappable, aren't you?”

“With all the shit I've put up with over the past few years, there's nothing you can say that'll hurt me. We  _ will _ be back. Come on, Shirogane-san, we need to go.” With that Taro stepped through the TV, and only Naoto and Souji's Shadow were left.

“None of them know about you, but I do,” the Shadow said. “I should warn them.”

“I don't know what you're...”

“Stop lying to me, Detective. And don't insult my intelligence, which is much higher than you give me credit for.” He smiled at Naoto's surprised look. “My world, my rules. Gods can't enter human minds without our consent. Loki operates here under my auspices, and I may eject him anytime I wish.”

“Then why don't you?” Naoto asked. “Just toss me out of here like you did with Nanako-chan.”

“Because I don't think you've got the heart to do what  _ he _ wants you to do,” Shadow Souji said. “Your Shadow lied to you about me. About  _ him _ .”

“And you expect me to believe you?” Naoto asked.

“I expect you to believe what you damn well please, like always,” Shadow Souji said. “You won't take a leap of faith until you've been buried in evidence supporting a path of action. That's not faith at all, so I'd posit you have none. But if you think you'll be bringing down my other self, my 'Persona', from a certain point of view, then you're in for a surprise. Oh, he may be broody, but he will not go quietly into the night.”

“Goodbye, Shadow,” Naoto said. “When next we meet, we will destroy you. Then I will deal with the real Souji as I see fit.”

“As your  _ master  _ sees fit,” Shadow Souji said. “Don't say I didn't warn you.”

Naoto watched him for a long moment, and then climbed through the TV. When she was gone Shadow Souji smiled.  _ You're not half as crafty as you think you are, Detective. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji found himself stepping out of nowhere into the middle of the street in the Shopping District. A woman standing in front of Tatsumi Textiles saw him appear, gasped, and ran off in the other direction as quickly as she could in her floppy sandals.

He heard a screaming echo from behind, and spun around just in time for Nanako to come flying out toward him. He caught her, but the force of her flight sent them both flying into a sidewalk bench and knocked the wind out of him. “Ow...” Nanako said, pushing herself off him. She rubbed her left shoulder. “Big Bro? You okay?”

“Yeah, great,” Souji said. He'd smacked his head on the bench, and while it was only made of plastic, it still was hard enough to cause some major pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a few breaths before opening them again. Stars danced before his eyes.

“Why did you leave?” Nanako said, getting to her feet. “Why didn't we fight him?”

“Because that wasn't what we went there to do,” Souji said. “We went to save Chie and Teddie, and it was done.”

“But...”

She was interrupted as the others started appearing out of thin air, none of them as violently as Nanako. "Is everyone okay?" Souji said, pushing himself off the bench. He received affirmative responses from everyone, though none but Teddie's was enthusiastic.

“Sensei, I just had the weirdest dream!” Teddie said. “I dreamed I forgot all about you, but I went to find you, and then I was in a giant pinball with this evil version of you! Totally weird, huh?”

“Yeah,” Souji said his voice low. “Weird.”

"So when're we going back?" Chie said. “We gotta beat that guy and fix everyone else's memories, right?”

Souji shook his head. “We did what we meant to do. We rescued you and Teddie. And you two as well,” he continued, looking at Yosuke and Naoto, who had just appeared.

“Well, yeah,” Yosuke said, “but, I mean, don't we have to beat that other you if we're gonna figure this all out?"

“Yes, I agree,” Naoto said. “We have to defeat your Shadow, and sooner rather than later.”

“Interesting,” Taro said, “Coming from the one who was most opposed to going to the Shrine in the first place. Without a really good reason, if I remember.”

“ _ Excuse _ me?” Naoto said, turning to Taro. “I'm sorry, but who do you think...?”

“Guys, hold up,” Rise said, walking over to Souji. “Don't you remember how hard it was when you faced your Shadows? I sure do. Just give him a chance to think, okay?”

Souji cast a brief glance at her, but looked away as soon as their eyes met. He glanced in Yukiko's direction, but she was turned away from him, a hand at her hip. “Maybe we'll go back tomorrow,” he said. “Or later. Or never. I don't know.”  _ I don't even think I care right now _ , he thought.

“Wait, never?” Taro said. He took Souji's arm. “Listen, I know this was difficult for you, but you're not seriously considering quitting, are you?”

“Souji, we can't  _ do _ this without you!” Yosuke said.

Souji laughed out loud, his raw emotions slipping further and further from his control. “Listen to you. An hour ago you were ready to beat me up, and now you're acting like nothing's happened!”

Yosuke started to stutter an incoherent reply. “Hey, Souji-kun, come on,” Chie said. “You know it wasn't his fault. You're the only reason we're all here now, that we've got our memories back! You can't quit on us now!"

Souji threw up his hands. "We're all back! Why do we need to rush it?"

“Excuse me?” Naoto said. “'We're  _ all _ back?' Did you happen to forget about Kanji? No, we're  _ not _ all back!" She was shouting now, practically in Souji's surprised face. "Kanji's still under the Memflies' effects! You're not going to abandon him!"

Souji wanted to lash back out at her. Naoto had put him through enough the past couple days that he didn't believe she had any right to criticize him. And yet, she was right. He  _ had _ forgotten about Kanji. How could he do that? As if his shame couldn't have grown any more, he had to open his big mouth and double it. He looked over the others, and all but Yukiko were watching him, waiting for a reply. He shook his head and, without another word, stalked away.

“Big Bro? Where you going?” Nanako asked, chasing after him. “Wait up!”

"Souji-kun!" Naoto shouted. “Don't you walk away from me!”

"Will you all just lay off?" Rise said, stepping between them and Souji. "You know how much he's sacrificed for you all? And did you forget how much hell you all...how much hell  _ we _ put him through the past few days? Give him a break already!"

That silenced everyone. They had never heard an outburst like that from Rise. She hadn't heard an outburst like that from  _ herself _ . Her heart was beating hard, and as she stared each of them down they each turned away from her, even Naoto. She turned back to watch Souji and Nanako walk away, and almost started after them. She stopped herself, though, when she realized there was probably little she could do to help him at the moment.  _ We all need to just leave him alone _ , she thought, at least a little pleased with herself that she had managed to practice some restraint.

“She's right,” Taro said. “He's been through a lot. Let him rest up, and we can work this out later. I think we should all go home now. When he's ready, he can contact us.” He started down the street.

“And since when do we take orders from you?” Naoto said.

“Since never,” Taro said, stopping and walking back to her. “Do what you want, but leave Souji-kun alone. You have no idea the kind of pain he was in when you all had forgotten him.” He looked over them all. “I don't care what his Shadow said back there, but Souji-kun cares for his friends. Cares too much, I think, and sometimes it tears him up inside because he can't be everywhere, with everyone, all at the same time. I think you should all consider yourselves very lucky you've got a friend like him.” It had been a long time since Taro had had to take a commanding tone with anyone, but it felt very familiar, something he'd missed over the years. “Go home and rest.” He started away again.

Rise stared at Souji's back for a long moment before she turned back to the group. Except for Naoto, they were all now staring at the ground. Naoto's eyes were again fixed on Souji. “Yukiko-chan,” Rise said, “please don't be hurt by what the Shadow said.”  _ I'm trying my best not to be _ , she thought. “You know people's Shadows exaggerate.”

“They don't lie,” Yukiko said. Rise turned to her, but Yukiko's gaze was still upon the ground. “Never mind.” She went over to Chie and Yosuke and helped them to their feet.

“Yukiko-chan, um – about Souji and...” Rise started.

“Please, just...go,” Yukiko said. “Namatame-san's right, we all need time to rest.”

Rise felt her heart being torn in so many directions she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. She wanted to say more, to ask Yukiko if she did still love Souji and find out if they were actually competing for his affections, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead she started down the street, hoping a nice long cry in her rented room would cleanse her mind for some serious thinking later on.

“Yukiko,” Chie said. “I remember everything that thing said. It...it was...”

“I don't want to talk about it,” Yukiko said.

“But...you and Souiji-kun broke up. You don't still...I mean, you told me...”

“Chie, please,” Yukiko said. “We should get you all home.”

“Isn't anyone gonna tell me what's going on?” Teddie asked. “Why'd Sensei and Nana-chan leave?”

“My car's still at his house,” Chie said, ignoring Teddie. “We can go back tomorrow to get it if you want.”

“I'd...yeah, that'd be good. I don't really want to think about him anymore right now.” She looked up to Naoto, only to find she wasn't there anymore. “Naoto-kun?” she called out. There was no answer. “Where did she go?”

“Kanji's,” Yosuke said, hooking his thumb back toward the textile shop. “Practically ran, like there was a fire.”

Yukiko frowned. “Well, whatever. I think you both need to rest.”  _ So do I, _ she thought. A _ nd do a little soul-searching, too. _ After she helped steady Chie on her feet, the four of them made their way up the street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hello?” Naoto said as she entered the shop, a bell on the door ringing.

“Just a minute!” She walked toward the counter as Kanji emerged from the back room. “Good afternoon, how can I...oh.” He stopped walking toward you. “How can I help you?” he asked with a sigh.

“Tatsumi-san,” Naoto said. “I'm here to make good on my promise.”

“What promise?” Kanji said.

“To help you out in the shop.”

“To help me...? Oh yeah, you said that, didn't you. Thought you wanted  _ me _ to call  _ you. _ ”

“I did,” Naoto said, “but I realized you probably wouldn't. I decided I'd volunteer my time now.”

“Look, if you're here to look for something illegal, you're not gonna...”

“I'm not, I promise,” Naoto said.  _ I'm here to find my reason for doing what I have to do. _ “I just want to help an old friend.”

“Yeah, I'm still a little fuzzy on that 'old friend' part,” Kanji said.

“Then just pretend I never said it. I have a good reputation. The police will vouch for me, if you're worried.”

“Yeah,  _ that's _ a way to sell it with me,” Kanji said. He groaned. “All right, fine. If you insist, I guess I could use the help. Come on out to the back. You can help me sort the new shipments.”

Naoto smiled a little, and for the first time in a while it felt genuine. She shed her shoes at the counter and followed Kanji into the back room, which was quiet except for the air handlers. It wasn't that late in the day; she expected to at least hear some workers chatting. “Um, where are the others?”

“Other who?” Kanji said.

“Workers,” Naoto said. “You told me you had other workers.”

“Oh,” Kanji said, scratching the back of his head. “Well, I said I had all the help I could afford. In other words, none.” He laughed a little, and Naoto laughed with him.

Now she remembered why she'd loved him so much, and why it had hurt so much to be separated from him. Her anger and determination against Souji pushed to the back of her mind for now, she said, “So where do I start?”

“Start at the beginning. Or if you can't find it, start at the end. Makes it easier to find the beginning.”

Naoto froze. “Where...where did you learn that?”

“Where?” Kanji said. He shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe from my Mom.”

_ Or from me _ , Naoto thought.  _ I always said that while I was tutoring you through your schoolwork. _ That brought everything back to the forefront of her mind. It was all such a tangled mess, and getting her memories back had only made it worse.  _ I'm not going to let the team forget about you. I don't care if I have to do it all myself. I'm going to save you. _

“Uh, you okay?” Kanji said.

Naoto shook her head. “Yes, fine. Now what was it you needed me to do?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanako caught up to Souji just as he reached the pharmacy. “Big Bro?” When he didn't respond she said, “Do you, uh, wanna talk?”

“Not really,” Souji said.

“You know Naoto-senpai was way out of line, right? I mean, it's not like you wanted to forget Kanji-senpai, you were just...tired.”

“That's supposed to make me feel better?” Souji said.

“Not really,” Nanako said. “I'm not so charming, like you.” Souji knew she was trying to get him to smile, but he wasn't feeling it. “C'mon, just say something. Please?”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked. “Everything's gonna be okay, we're gonna win, that kind of stuff?” He sighed. “I wish. This's just...it's so hard. I haven't felt this helpless since you were...” He trailed off.

Nanako didn't finish his thought, though she knew what he was starting to say. Despite her sessions with the psychologist, which had done nothing but make her father happy, her brush with death still haunted her dreams and probably would for the rest of her life. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Then, Nanako said, “I'm sorry I was pushing you about Rise-senpai before.”

“No, don't,” Souji said. “Don't you start apologizing. I guess - truth is, I thought you were right, but I was afraid to even think it. I still, well...”

“You still love Yukiko-senpai,” Nanako said.

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“She still love you?”

“Doubt it. After what that... _ thing _ said,  _ I _ wouldn't even like me anymore.” Souji said.

“Why do you beat yourself up so much?” Nanako asked.

“What're you talking about?”

“You've been beating yourself up for years, and you don't deserve it.”

Souji stopped. “How would you know that?”

“I...ever since my Persona, I just...know things. Even if my Persona's not out.”

Souji had seen a little of that, but until now he hadn't even thought to question it. There had just been too much going on. “That's really not fair.”

“Maybe,” Nanako said, shrugging, “but you're not really that open about yourself, are you?” Souji stared at her for a second, and then started walking again. She caught up to him and said, “Hey, don't do that 'get all quiet' thing again. C'mon, you helped me so many times. Let me help you.”

“I don't know what you can do,” Souji said.

“Well, I don't either, but I wanna figure it out.”

Souji wanted to snap at her, but held it back. He glanced over at her, though, and saw her flinch as if he actually  _ had _ yelled at her. He forced himself to calm down. “So you can read my mind?”

Nanako hesitated for a moment. “No, it's more like...I kind of  _ feel _ what you're thinking.”

“Well, no offense, but I don't want to have to watch what I'm thinking around you.”

“Don't,” Nanako said. “I'm not a fragile little girl anymore, remember?”

“You keep reminding me.” After a beat, he laughed a little, and Nanako laughed with him. He sighed. “I'm just at the end of my rope right now. I thought I was before, but now, after that...thing...I just don't know about anything anymore.”

“Maybe you don't have to,” Nanako said. “It's not like you have to do everything yourself, right? Maybe you should let  _ us _ help  _ you _ for a change.”

Souji only wished it were that easy. In a way, his Shadow was right; he tried to do everything himself because, despite his vulnerability, he still felt like the only one who  _ could _ . As they turned the corner to head up Nanako's home street he started, “Maybe you're...”

They both stopped when they saw the blue and red flashing lights up the street. “Hey, those are at the house,” Nanako said.

“The house that looks like a bomb went off inside?” Souji said.

“Oh crap,” Nanako said. “Dad's gonna be pissed, isn't he?”

“I'll take the heat,” Souji said.

“Like hell you will,” Nanako said. “I told you, I'm gonna help you. Just let me do the talking.” They continued to the house and saw a police officer standing at the door.

As soon as he saw them he called out. “Nanako-chan?”

“Matsuoka-san,” Nanako said, jogging up to him. “Is, uh, everything okay?”

“Lieutenant,” Officer Matsuoka said into his radio. “Your daughter's here.”

Ryotaro was at the door in an instant. “Nanako!” He pushed past Matsuoka and ran up to her, placing himself between her and Souji. He grabbed her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, yeah,” Nanako said. “Dad, I'm fine.”

“'Dad'...” he echoed as he examined her up and down. “You...look different.”

“Yeah, well, it's a long story...”

He spun around. “What the hell happened? Was there a break-in?”

Souji staggered backward, as if Dojima's voice had struck him physically. “Uh, well...”

“My God, I thought...I thought someone attacked you and Nanako!”

“Someone did...” Nanako started.

“You know what, never mind,” Ryotaro interrupted. He grabbed Souji's arm. “You're coming to the station.”

“What? No, Dad!” Nanako grabbed him, but he shook her off.

“Not now, Nanako.” He turned to Matsuoka. “Take her to the station.”

“Wait, stop it Dad! I can explain everything!”

“Not  _ now _ , Nanako!” Ryotaro repeated, and nodded to Matsuoka. As the officer led Nanako to the police cruiser, he yanked Souji toward his own car. “I don't know what you think you were doing, but this is  _ done _ .”

“Lieutenant,” said another officer who had just stepped out of the house. “I'm coming with you, sir.”

“I'm fine, Kikuchi,” Ryotaro said.

“Sir, this involves your family and you need someone else with you. For your own protection, in case the chief or someone gets a bug up his ass.”

Ryotaro glanced at Souji. He really needed to talk to his nephew alone, but apparently that would have to wait. “Fine.” He pulled Souji to the car and opened the rear door. “Get in.”

“Ryotaro-san, look, I can explain...” Souji started, but Ryotaro shoved him inside.

“You're not under arrest, yet,” Ryotaro said, “but I recommend you take advantage of your right to remain silent.” He slammed the door and marched over to the other side of the car.

Souji glanced over at the police car as it pulled away. Nanako was in the passenger seat, her hands pressed to the glass as she watched him. He couldn't read her expression at this distance, but thought this would be a good time to assure her that everything would be all right, even if he didn't believe it himself. He tried his best to send that thought to her, hoping she would pick up on it and not the doubt he held behind it. As his uncle sat down behind the wheel and pulled the door shut, he started, “Ryotaro-san, just listen...”

“Keep that mouth shut until I tell you to speak,” Ryotaro said. “I mean it, Souji.”

Sargent Kikuchi got into the passenger seat and closed the door.. “How we reporting this, Lieutenant?”

“I don't know yet,” Ryotaro said. “Right now I just have some questions. Hopefully it'll just lead to  _ someone _ getting grounded.”

Souji sighed. This all gave him a strong sense of  _ deja vu _ . The last time this happened, Nanako was kidnapped right under everyone's noses. He was just glad that, this time, Nanako would be safe at the police station. At least his uncle learned from his mistakes.

_ When he doesn't remember them? _ Souji thought. He looked down at his hands. He hadn't been handcuffed, but from how Ryotaro was treating him he may as well be.

Today had been a real banner day, and his being under de facto arrest was just the icing on the cake. He'd almost rather go back and deal with his Shadow than have to face his amnesiac uncle. At this moment it seemed like his Shadow would be the more reasonable of the two.


	13. God Complex

Ryotaro hasn't spoken a word the entire trip to the police station, and had allowed Matsuoka to lead Nanako into the station before getting out of the car himself. Nanako kept her eyes fixed on her father's car as she was led into the station, though Souji couldn't tell if she were looking at him or her father.

“All right, let's go.” Ryotaro opened Souji's door and took his arm. Knowing it would be pointless to resist for now, he let his uncle lead him into the station, past the front desk, and through the cubicle farm. They ended up at a room near the back of the station with two large windows, blinds covering them, and from what Souji could tell, some kind of computer panel with a large screen monitor at its center. Inside the room were two men, one younger and wearing a plain suit, and the other older, wearing a blue uniform with decorations that indicated some kind of rank. Ryotaro released his arm and bowed deferentially.

“Yokoi-sama,” Ryotaro said.

“Dojima-san,” the older man said, casting a glance at Souji.

“This is, uh, my nephew, Souji Seta.” Ryotaro turned to Souji. “Souji, this is Takayuki Yokoi, Chief of Police.”

Souji bowed out of habit, even though he wasn't sure if this was all a prelude to his serving time behind bars.

“Your nephew is the perp?”

“Excuse me?” Ryotaro said. Yokoi gestured to the monitor. Souji couldn't see it very well from his current angle, but there was some kind of date stamp on the bottom, like it was some kind of security tape. “Well, actually, I think he's the victim,” Ryotaro said, clearing his throat. “According to that video, he was defending himself from an attacker.”

“I see,” Yokoi said, stroking his chin. “So why was it sealed and on your desk?”

Ryotaro glanced at the other man, and then at Souji. He tilted his head toward the door, and he and Yokoi walked out, Ryotaro closing the door behind him. Souji turned to the other man, who was examining him closely. He felt the urge to turn away, but decided not to.  _ I'm the victim, apparently. I've got nothing to be nervous about. Right? _

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to an image directly in his line of sight. It was a Tarot card, numbered XX, with the silhouettes of a man, woman, and child turned upward toward an angel, speaking down at them through a trumpet. The card stood before him for a few seconds, and then rotated until it was upside-down. Over top of the hum of the equipment in the room, he heard a very familiar voice:

_ The truths you wished to hide have been laid bare... _ _   
_ _ It has split the Truth Seekers group... _ _   
_ _ The Judgment Social Link has become Reversed... _ _   
_ _ Until you reconcile, your investigation cannot move forward... _

As the card vanished Souji felt a chill.  _ Reversed _ , he thought.  _ Does that mean we're finished as a team? Or that  _ they're  _ finished with  _ me _? _

“Is that what happened?”

Souji felt a nudge at his shoulder and turned to see that Ryotaro and Yokoi had both re-entered the room. Apparently, they'd been talking to him. “Souji, Chief Yokoi asked you a question.”

“I'm sorry, I just...was what happened?”

Yokoi raised an eyebrow and said to Ryotaro, “Maybe you shouldn't have dragged him into the station like this. Seems kind of shaken up.”

“Yes, well, I...guess I may have been a little upset when I first saw him,” Ryotaro said. “The house was a bit of a mess.”

Yokoi pulled him outside the room again. “Ryo-chan, I've been your boss for at least twenty years, since you were a rookie on the beat. And I know the only time you ever lose your objectivity is when a case involves your family. I promoted you because you were my best detective, and I don't want to see you put your career at risk by getting too involved in any case, even just a simple assault case.”

“Sir, I...”

Yokoi held up his hand. “Talk to your nephew, get this wrapped up. If he wants to press charges against that attacker then pass him and the evidence off to someone else. Otherwise, drop it and file the video with the storm case. From now on, any cases in which you're personally involved, I want you to assign to someone else and you keep the hell out of the way. Understood?”

Ryotaro's cheeks flushed. “Yes, sir.”

“That's the same thing you'd tell any one of your people in the same position,” Yokoi said. “I hope.”

“Yes, sir. It would be.”

“Good. Go ahead and take care of business then. We'll leave you to it.” Yokoi stuck his head in the room and gestured to the younger detective. The two left Ryotaro and Souji alone in the room.

Once they were gone Ryotaro closed the door. “Sit down, Souji.” Souji complied, and Ryotaro pressed a button on the console. “Watch.”

Souji turned to the large monitor. It looked familiar, though at first he wasn't sure how. It took him a moment to realize it was an overhead view of the Junes Electronics department. He noticed the time at the bottom right counting up, stopping, and then becoming all sixes. Then three people suddenly appeared onscreen and the time started counting upward again. He knew right away who they were  _ That's us _ , he thought.  _ I think I'm screwed. _

The on-screen Souji appeared to converse with someone off-screen, and then suddenly he was attacked. Ryotaro paused the playback, his hand moving slowly and deliberately as he pointed to the assailant. “Nanako, right?”

Souji searched for a lie, any lie that would at least throw his uncle off long enough for him to come up with a feasible story. None came, and he sighed. “Yeah, that's – that's Nanako.”

“But not the same Nanako, I'm guessing.”

Souji looked up at him. “Not the same...what?”

Ryotaro closed his eyes and sat down next to Souji. “You found a way to restore her back to her old self, didn't you?”

Souji's mouth dropped open. “You...how do you...you remember?” Ryotaro nodded gently. “But...how...?”

“I can't go into that right now,” Ryotaro said. “The only thing I can tell you is that  _ this _ ,” he pointed to the screen, “is going to be hard to keep under wraps, once the department's done investigating that storm.” Ryotaro pressed a button and the display changed to a scene from the Junes parking lot. He twirled the tracking wheel and the image speedily moved forward until a car was smashed and then pulled up into the air, the image freezing when he pulled his hand away from the controls. “I'm guessing you've got something to do with this as well. Something you did in the TV World?”

Souji felt numb. “You mean you remember everything? Everything that happened seven years ago? Everything about the TVs, and Shadows, and Personas?”

“Not...every detail, but yes.”

“But – how long?”

“Since before I met you here Monday, when you were asking about Adachi. Why do you think I'd give you a key to my house right after? I was actually surprised you didn't pick up on it right then.”

“Well, things, uh...”

Ryotaro waved him off. “Okay, look, we don't have a whole lot of time to discuss this. I just have to know – is Nanako back?”

“Yes,” Souji said. “All the way. And she's got her own Persona now, too.”

Ryotaro's face lost all color. “What?”

Souji pointed to the screen. “That 'storm' you're calling it – that was us fighting her Shadow. Or, the effect of it on the real world, I guess. We didn't know until we got back...”

“So she's fighting alongside you now?”

Souji hesitated. Ryotaro had fixed an intense stare on him, but there was no point in trying to lie now. “Yes, she is. And she's pretty good at...”

“What's wrong with you?” Ryotaro said, grabbing his shoulders. “She's still a child! She's younger than any of you were when – back  _ then _ ! You're putting her in danger!”

“I'dve had to tie her down to stop her from following us,” Souji said. “And she's pretty capable. Not just with a knife.” Ryotaro pursed his lips, and Souji immediately wished he hadn't made that quip. “Look, she's only come in with us once. After she got her own Persona. We couldn't have saved the others without her. I made sure she...”

“No, you're not involving her in this,” Ryotaro said. “Look, thank you for bringing her back, but leave her out of this from now on.” He stood. “You can stay at the house if you want, but you have to swear to me that Nanako won't be following you on any more 'missions'.”

“She won't accept...”

“I'll deal with her,” Ryotaro interrupted. “She is not to be part of your team anymore. I don't care about anyone else. I don't even care if you keep hanging around with Namatame, but not Nanako.”

“Wait – you know about Taro-kun, too? How? You been following me too?”

Ryotaro opened his mouth, and then closed it again. “ _ Don't tell him too much _ ,” she'd told him. He'd managed to mess  _ that  _ up too. “ _ We can't interfere too much. I'm only here to make sure the odds are even.” _ “Yes, I've been having you followed.”

Souji threw up his arms and jumped out of the chair, making Ryotaro jump. He stalked to the rear corner of the room. “You followed me, Naoto followed me. Nanako followed me. What the hell am I, a parade?” He turned to Ryotaro and started back toward him. “All right, you've dictated your terms to me. Now I'm going to give you  _ my _ terms. I want to know how you know everything. How you knew Nanako was different, and how you got your memories back. Everything.”

Ryotaro stared at him for a full ten seconds. “All right. Everything. But not here, not now. Things are already a mess as it is.”

“No, that's not good enough...”

“It  _ has _ to be!” Ryotaro said, slamming his fist onto the console. He expected Souji to back away, but the younger man instead glared at him.  _ He's grown up _ , Ryotaro thought. he took a breath and raised his hands. “Sorry, look...I just can't get into it now. All I know is that I had a weird dream that night and....something told me things were happening and I had to help you.”

_ Lame explanation _ , Souji thought. “What night? Before or after I talked to you Sunday morning?”

“After – look, we can talk later.”

Souji rubbed his forehead. “So you've been hiding this all this time. Why?”

“I didn't have a choice,” Ryotaro said. “I had to let you figure out what was happening on your own. I shouldn't have let it get this far, though. I should've intervened sooner.”

Souji shook his head. “But you told me to stay away from Nanako.”

“I knew she was involved in...all this, maybe worse than others. I mean, it was night and day with her. We had breakfast together Sunday morning, and then that night she told me to go to Hell.” He shook his head. “It wasn't even 'till later that night I remembered that wasn't normal.”

“And you were told to help me.” Souji stood. “I needed you! I needed someone, anyone! Not just a place to stay. Someone who remembered me, let me know I wasn't crazy. Why did you let it get this far?”

Ryotaro sat, silently. Souji had never been afraid to stand up to him, or anyone else, for that matter, when had to. He really  _ was _ his mother's son. “I shouldn't have, but it's too late now. Now we just have to move forward. What are you planning to do?”

Souji sighed. “I don't know. Honestly, right now I don't know if the group is getting back together at all. This last trip we had into the TV – wasn't so good.”

“What happened?”

Souji shook his head. “I'd rather not talk about it.”

“Was someone hurt?” Ryotaro stood. “Was – was Nanako...”

“No,” Souji said. “Nanako wasn't...nobody was hurt. Physically. Actually, we managed to bring back almost all the old team. Yukiko, Chie, Yosuke, but, well, I don't know if they want to be around me right now.” He sat down. “Turns out I have a Shadow too. Worse than everyone else's. Worse than Nanako's.”

“Nanako's Shadow,” Ryotaro said. “What was it like?”

“We had to beat it to bring her memories back,” Souji said, not particularly caring to answer his question. “That battle was what you saw in the real world on that video. The effects of it, I mean. And that was why those people passed out.”

Ryotaro nodded. “Hm. Was it the same as at the Shrine, and at the Riverbed?”

Souji closed his eyes. “The Riverbed?”

“Happened a couple hours ago. Children, mostly, and a few parents. Most passed out, though a few got minor injuries from falls. About a dozen sent to the hospital.”

_ Children _ , Souji thought.  _ We can't keep going on like these are just Shadows. I – I gotta do something.  _ “Yeah. We fought Memflies in those places too.”

“Memflies?”

“Memory Flies,” Souji said. “It's a name we came up for the things that are blocking people's memories. Or eating them, or something. Most of the time we've been in the Shadow World they haven't done anything, but a couple times they attacked and we had to defend ourselves. And when we did, I guess the people they were feeding off of passed out.”

“So what happens the next time you fight?” Ryotaro said. “Will you  _ keep _ putting people in the hospital?”

Souji looked up at him. “You're saying we shouldn't defend ourselves?”

“No, I'm saying you need to be more careful. This isn't like last time where you were just...” He stopped speaking and turned to his right. “No, I...” Ryotaro turned back to Souji and stood. “You wait right here.” He left the room and closed the door behind him.

Souji glanced at the space where Ryotaro had been looking but could see nothing. He turned back to the monitor, the image of a bisected car flying through the air still frozen in place. He reached out and touched the screen. It rippled as his fingers pushed through ever so slightly. He leaned back in the chair.

“ _ You need to be more careful,” _ Souji thought, playing back his uncle's words. “ _ This isn't like last time...” No _ shit  _ it's not like last time, but what other choice do I have? _

He stared at the image on the monitor.  _ If we all go in again, we go after my Shadow, it'll be a fight. Another big one, probably bigger than Nanako's. Innocent people could be hurt. My friends could be hurt. Nanako could be hurt. But maybe I can reason with the Shadow, find some way to stop it without a fight... _

But his friends were spoiling for a fight; they'd made that plainly obvious. And there was no way he could stop Nanako from coming with them, whatever his uncle said. The only possible way for a peaceful solution would be if he beat them to the punch. He'd have to go in by himself and he'd have to do it soon, give himself plenty of time before they found out what he was doing. Before they could come after him.

He looked around and found a small notepad next to a pencil with several bite marks in it. He grimaced a little as he picked up the well-used writing implement.  _ I really hope this works. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryotaro stood with his back to the media room door for several minutes.  _ I'm a cop, not some supernatural advisor. They really picked the wrong man for this. _

“ _ Kana _ , what are you doing?”

He turned to his right to see the kimono-clad spectral form that had, apparently, followed him out of the room. He gestured with his eyes in one direction and headed that way. She followed him, her geta making no sound on the floor as she passed through the desks and partitions in her path.

Ryotaro entered the men's restroom and locked the door behind him. The specter slipped through the door after him. “Are you going to arrest him?”

“No,” Ryotaro said. He turned to her. “But I'm not going to let him drag Nanako into this.”

“If it's her destiny to follow him, then you can't stop her. She'll find a way.” She smiled at him. “Our daughter's as stubborn as you are.”

Ryotaro shook his head. “Chisato, you of all people ought to know the danger Souji put himself and his friends in before. How much danger they're probably in now. I don't want to lose Nanako like I lost you. Unless you've got some insight into what'll happen with all this.”

Chisato shook her head. “I don't. That's not why I'm here.”

“Yeah, yeah, that's what you've been telling me.” Ryotaro leaned against the wall. “So were you just here to make sure I remembered? So he'd have a place to stay?”

“You were a friendly face while he was sinking in a sea of friends turned enemies,” Chisato said. “That was enough.”

“No it's not enough!” Ryotaro said. “Not for me! I'm not gonna stand around here feigning ignorance while they're going in there fighting a god or whatever it is! Maybe I ought to have him bring me into that TV World with him, let me fight my own Shadow self and I can get those powers too. Maybe then I can actually do something useful.”

“That's not your destiny,” Chisato said. “I wish I could tell you more, I really do. But there's only so much I know.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Ryotaro said, crossing his arms. “I – I can't talk about this now. I need to talk to Nanako. I want to make sure she's...back. I've almost lost her twice now, and I think that's more than enough to ask any parent. It was hard enough losing you, and then for so long after, I...”

“ _ Kana, _ ” Chisato said. She raised a hand to his cheek, holding it just over his skin. “Please don't be so hard on yourself. What's done is done, and Nanako loves you very much.”

Ryotaro shook his head. “You know, this isn't how I'd imagined it. So many years, I wished I could talk to you one more time, say everything I never said, but now...”

“I promise we'll have time soon.”

“Yeah,” Ryotaro said. “Whether or not we all survive this, I guess. I better go see Nanako.” He left the restroom and headed toward his office, not bothering to see if Chisato was following him. He was too ashamed from his outburst to look at her right now.

The instant he opened his office door Nanako was on her feet and in his face. “Dad, you've got to listen to me...”

Ryotaro held up his hand. “Matsuoka, thanks for watching her.”

Office Matsuoka, who had been sitting in the other guest chair, nodded. “Sure, Lieutenant.” He left the room, and Ryotaro closed the door behind him.

“Dad, look, it's not Souji's fault...”

“Nanako, I know everything.”

“Just listen to – what?” Nanako said. “As in...every –  _ thing _ ?”

“The world in the TV, the Memflies, your...Persona, everything.”

“What?” She tilted her head, as if examining his eyes for truth. “You – you  _ do _ remember.”

Ryotaro nodded. “Yeah.”

Nanako smacked him hard on the arm several times. “Why didn't you say anything? Why did you let me act like such an idiot all that time?”

“Nanako - ow, stop it!” Ryotaro said, grabbing her arm after the third strike. “Listen, it's more complicated...”

“Look, Dad, we need to talk about this, but can we do it at home? Doing it at your work sucks, like I'm being interrogated or something. Is Big Bro under arrest?”

Ryotaro sighed. “No, he's not.”

“Then let's all go home. Big Bro and me'll clean up the mess. And I need a shower, too. I haven't had one in like two days and I feel all icky.”

Ryotaro tried to stop the smile from creeping up his lips. He couldn't express how happy he was that she was, truly, back to her old self. If only he could tell her about her mother. “Nanako...”

“C'mon, Dad. Do we have to stay here?”

Ryotaro sighed. “No, we don't. I'll go get Souji, we'll go home, and have a nice long talk, okay? Wait here.”

He left the office and hesitated outside. This was such a mess, but maybe he could still fix it. He made his way back to the media room and opened the door.

The room was empty, though he noticed a cell phone sitting on the player console. “Souji?” No answer. He stepped out of the room and grabbed the attention of the detective whose desk was closest to the door. “Hey, did anyone leave this room?” The detective, who was busy speaking on the phone and furiously jotting notes, shook her head and shrugged. Ryotaro went back into the room and checked under the console. “Souji, this isn't funny.”

When he stood he picked up the phone, and saw a folded piece of paper underneath. He unfolded it and read.

**WENT BACK IN TO FACE MY SHADOW** **  
** **PLEASE DON'T TELL NANAKO OR SHE WILL FOLLOW ME** **  
** **TELL HER I WENT BACK TO AMERICA OR SOMETHING** **  
** **TELL HER THAT BIG BRO LOVES HER**

“Goddammit, Souji,” he said, crushing the note in his fist and pressing it into the console. “God dammit.” He looked at the monitor. Was that how he got out?  _ How could I have been so stupid? _ Then again, how could he have known his nephew would run away like this? He touched a couple fingers to it, but it was solid.  _ Does he actually think she'll believe he left without saying goodbye? Am I supposed to tell her I sent him away without letting him say goodbye? _

He knew Nanako was smarter than that, but even if she did believe it, she'd hate her father for it. “You're getting pretty selfish, Souji.” He muttered, picking up the phone. “Just like your parents.”

“You can't hide this from her,” Chisato said as she appeared beside him.

“I know, and I won't be able to stop her from going after him.”

“You shouldn't try,” Chisato said. “I know you want to protect her, but her destiny, at least for now, is inextricably woven into Souji's. He will need her with him if he's to do what he has to do.”

“And you can't promise me she won't get hurt.”

Chisato knelt down and looked up at him. “No, I can't. But you have to believe me when I say she's ready to start taking care of herself. I don't mean cooking and cleaning, I mean protecting herself. She's growing up.”

“Yeah,” Ryotaro said. “I've been trying to forget.” He turned and left the room for his office.

Once he was inside Nanako said, “Big B...hey, where is he?” She looked around her father. “I thought you were gonna go get him.”

Ryotaro sighed and handed her his phone. “I was.”

Nanako examined the phone. “So where is he?”

Ryotaro turned to his left, where Chisato had appeared. She nodded to him, and he turned back to Nanako. “Trying to keep you safe.”

Nanako stared at him for a moment, and then gasped. “No – no, he didn't!”

“Nanako, listen...”

“No! He's gonna be...” She opened the phone and started scrolling through the directory.

“Nanako, stop...”

“No,” Nanako said. She looked up at Ryotaro. “Big Bro spent so much time protecting me, saving my life. It's my turn to do it for him.”

"You're not going in after him," he said. "Call his friends, but you're staying here."

"No I'm not," Nanako said.

Ryotaro snatched the phone from her hand. "I'm your father and I'm telling you no! I'm not going to have you die in some alternate universe!"

Nanako stared at him. Rarely did she see this kind of fire in his eyes, and rarer still did she see it directed at her. "Dad, do you know what I am?"

"You're my daughter, and that's all I..."

"I'm a Persona user," Nanako said. "That means I'm one of, like, less than ten people in the world with the power to save it from what's happening to it now. I know you're scared for me. I'm scared too. But if I don't do this, if I stay out of the fight because I'm scared, then it's my fault if the world ends. I'd rather die trying to save the world than let it die because I did nothing. Now you can ground me if you want, you can take TV and everything else away, but I'm not gonna stop going to the Shadow World because it's what I have to do."

Now it was Ryotaro's turn to be silent. Never before had Nanako spoken to him this way. Not with this kind of resolve, nor sense of duty. While it scared him to think of his little girl growing up so fast, and that she would be risking her life doing something he couldn't possibly protect her from, he felt very proud of her. He also knew she was right, and there was no way he could stop her. He glanced over to Chisato, who nodded. With a sigh, he fell to his knees and gave her back the phone. "Just promise me...promise me you're coming home. Promise me I'm not going to lose you."

Nanako wrapped her arms around him and kissed his stubbly cheek. "I promise, Daddy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji's steps slowed as he continued through the Reverse Shopping District. The walk from the police station hadn't been any longer than the walk from Junes, but he'd done far too much walking these past several days, particularly today. The fact that he hadn't had to fight his way here was only a small relief. His feet ached, and he longed to sit down, take his shoes off, and just take a nap. Maybe he'd wake up and find this was all a nightmare, that he was still 16, still living in Inaba, and everything was as it was during the happier times. He would still be with Rise...

He stopped.  _ Yukiko. I'd still be with...Yukiko... _ Anymore, that just wasn't sounding right to him. "Yukiko," he said aloud, no longer caring if his Shadow, or Loki, or even the entire world heard him. “Yukiko Seta. Seta Yukiko. Rise Seta. Seta Rise. Seta...Rise...” It rolled off the tongue much more easily, felt so much more natural to him. Seta Rise. He stopped and leaned against one of the shops as a pair of Memfly swarms floated lazily by.  _ Why am I thinking about this now? Why wasn't I thinking about this yesterday? Or an hour ago? _ He sank to his knees, his feet thanking him despite his growing despair.  _ I might never see her again. I might never...get a chance to tell her... _ He looked up.

The Velvet Room door was back. He realized for the first time that it wasn't there earlier, when he was with everyone.  _ Why not? _ He stood, his feet complaining again, and trundled over to it. He reached out to touch it...and stopped.  _ What do I want from him? What can he do for me now? I'm not going to fight. I can't fight. Personas aren't going to be any help to me _ .  _ Margaret's probably still gone, anyway, and Igor's not much to talk to. _ He pulled his hand back and, with a low groan, continued on his northward death march.

As he neared the Shrine he noticed the distinct lack of the green light. Apparently his Shadow no longer felt the need to shield himself. Souji wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He entered the shrine to see his Shadow was sitting in its throne, just where it had been when he last saw it.

“That was quick,” Shadow Souji said. “Of course, that's what I'd say if I didn't already know you were coming.”

“Enough with the bullshit,” Souji said. “I'm here to face you. One-on-one. None of you tormenting my friends, or playing a god while you toss them around the place.”

Shadow Souji shook his head. “I don't need to do that with you. You, of all people, understand me enough, and I don't need to waste your or my time with games. Sit down.”

To Souji it sounded much more like an invitation than an order. He looked over his shoulder and saw another throne had appeared. This one was virtually identical to the one in which the Shadow was sitting. Instead of foxes traversing its periphery, though, there were tiny caricatures. Upon examination, he recognized them as his friends, except some were their  _ Shadow _ forms. Bathhouse Kanji, clad only in a loincloth, danced around the backrest to some unheard music. Scientist Naoto, on the opposite side, pulled one of her overly long sleeves up so he could see her hand, pointed a finger at him, and flipped her thumb down, mimicking firing a gun. Nihilist Teddie glared at him from the right armrest with a disapproving frown, with Yosuke and Chie standing next to him with arms crossed and backs to each other. And around the top of the backrest, Princess Yukiko and Stripper Rise crawled in opposite directions, stopping only to blow him kisses every few seconds.

“Real cute,” Souji said, sitting down. “I'm here to...” He felt something poking repeatedly into his left hand and looked down at the armrest. A tiny Shadow Nanako, in heavy clothing and frazzled hair, was poking him with a knife oversized for her miniscule body. “Are you serious?”

“Don't blame me, it's  _ your  _ subconscious.” Shadow Souji said. “Now, you were saying?”

Souji took a deep breath, trying to hide his anxiety despite the fact that he knew it was pointless. “I was saying that I'm here to end this.”

"I know," Shadow Souji said, "and you will, but not in the way you're expecting."

Souji felt the Nanako carving poke his hand again and smacked the armrest. The tiny Nanako dropped the knife and ran down the arm toward the ground, making a rude gesture with her hand as she did so. He sighed wearily. "Since you know everything, what  _ did _ I expect?"

"To die, of course," the Shadow said, matter-of-factly. "Wouldn't be very smart of me to let  _ that _ happen, would it?"

“Because you can't survive without me,” Souji said.

“See, you really are a lot smarter than people say,” Shadow Souji said with a smirk.

“Go to hell,” Souji said. He tried to focus on his hostility toward his other self. It helped keep his mind off his fear.

Shadow Souji smiled. “And the thick skin finally wears off. Anyway, no, I can't survive without you. No matter how powerful I am, my fate will always be tied to yours. Of course, if you denied me enough times I could become supremely powerful, absorb you, and hide you deep in  _ my _ subconscious the way you've done with me all these years.”

“That's what all the other Shadow selves we've faced were trying to do," Souji said. "We got in the way, because we were trying to help the real versions keep themselves together. But the other Shadows...Mayumi Yamano's and Saki Konishi's – they killed their hosts.”

“And those Shadows died with them,” Shadow Souji said. “I told you before, I'm no ordinary Shadow. I've actually got some brains. Hell, maybe even a soul.  _ Their _ Shadows were far too vicious, even in their semi-humanity, to hold back their violent nature and keep the bodies alive. Even here, in my world, I must have a 'real' body to survive.”

“Right now I'm not convinced you're much different,” Souji said. He was starting to get control over his emotions, and it made him feel just a little better. “Maybe you didn't physically attack us, but you seemed to enjoy emotionally torturing everyone.”

“Just clearing the air,” Shadow Souji said. “Sooner or later it needed to be done. So what if it caused some Tarot card in your mind to turn upside down? I know about that, of course. You were never really sure you believed in that crap anyway. And, as I said, what did they do for you when you were working yourself to death, going out of your mind?”

“It was my own fault.”

Shadow Souji smiled. “So finally you're admitting it to yourself. Not just with words. You finally believe them. The first step to enlightenment. Just wait till you see the next step.”

“Let me guess, spread this world into the real one so you can be a god there as well?”

The Shadow tilted his head and looked upward, as if considering it. Then, “Nah, not the kind of thing I had planned.” The Shadow leaned forward. “What I'm proposing is a willful joining between you and me. It's not enough that you accept me as part of you, as you already know. You must allow us to join into one being. Combine our powers here. Even as a god, I'm limited. But you...the  _ whole _ you...you truly are a god among men. Together, living, acting, and thinking as one, we could rule this world completely. Get rid of Loki, and make it so that no other could ever use it to do to Inaba what Loki is now. Keep both this and the real world safe. Doesn't that sound like a noble goal?”

“Hold on - I thought you  _ let _ Loki in.”

“Yes, I let him in,” Shadow Souji said with a sigh, "and now, like a cockroach, I can't get  _ rid _ of him. He's still a 'real' god, and I'm just a god of the mind, living in a  _ world _ of the mind. Together, though, we would be strong enough to exorcise him. Do you know why I called your thoughts of godhood delusional?” Souji shook his head. “Because,” Shadow Souji continued, “Only here, only with me, in our little simulacrum of your favorite town, can you truly be a god. I have my limits, even here. You have your limits, both here and in the real world. But together, in this world of our creation, we would truly be a god. And only a god can defeat a god.”

Souji shook his head. “You can't...you can't be serious.”

The Shadow leaned forward, smiling. “We should talk. Show you just how serious I really am.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rise awoke, laughing. She found herself clutching her pillow to her chest, sitting on her rented bed, leaning against the wall, and realized she must have cried herself to sleep. She'd ended up in a pleasant, though strange, dream where she and Souji were in a tickle fight. The strange part was that they did so while, for some reason, wearing luchador. She wasn't even sure why she knew that's what they were called, but as she tried to think about the dream the giddiness it had given her wore off.

The day's events then started to replay themselves before her mind, both the good and the bad. She found herself alternately smiling and cringing, letting fresh tears flow freely throughout. It had started out so well, almost like a real date. Souji was going to teach her how to cook, she'd get a chance to get a little closer to him, and maybe break through his shell. And then all hell had broken loose. True, it had ended somewhat well, in that almost all their friends had their memories back, but that didn't seem help as much as she'd hoped.

They had all been such close friends once. What happened? Was this just a part of growing up? Getting all cynical, pulling each other in so many different directions. Hearing everyone harp on Souji when he was at his weakest hurt almost as much as seeing the pain it had all caused him. If she wasn't sure before, she was now. She loved him, despite what his Shadow had revealed, and right now the only thing that mattered to her was his happiness.

She wanted so desperately to call him, let him know everything was all right. But she knew that, sometimes, you just needed to be alone. That went against her instincts, which were to open yourself up to your friends, as sharing your pain was the only real way to deal with it. It was something Souji himself had taught her, and only after she learned that had she become a complete person.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and laughed out loud. She didn't understand why men wouldn't just cry when they needed to. They didn't know what they were missing, how much of a relief it was just to let it all out. Maybe she could teach Souji how, and he'd finally be able to let out everything he'd been bottling up for so long. Maybe that'd be how he'd get rid of his Shadow.

She instinctively reached for her phone, but stopped herself.  _ No, Rise, don't. You've gotta let him be. Don't smother him. _ She sighed. Sometimes she hated feeling the need to be so clingy, but at the same time she hated being alone. But who could she talk to? Not Yukiko, for sure. She shivered when she thought of that, and of the conversation they would eventually have to have. Rise believed she was better for Souji than Yukiko was, though she also knew she was biased. Yukiko, though, was a lot like Souji in that she seemed to internalize her feelings a lot.

That part made her feel a little worse.  _ If they're so alike, don't they really belong together? But, then again, opposites attract, don't they? I could teach him to be more open.  _ She sighed again. She didn't know why these thoughts kept pushing their way into her mind. She was trying not to worry about this now, as it was far less important than the job they had to do. They'd have to confront Souji's Shadow, and probably Loki as well, and that had to be her number one priority.  _ This isn't the time to be acting like a lovestruck teenager, _ she thought.

Her phone rang, and she jumped at the noise. She picked it up and read the display: “Souji”.

_ Oh my God oh my God _ , she thought, her heart starting to flutter.  _ What am I gonna say to him? _ She sniffled, cleared her throat, and then flipped the phone open. “S-Souji?”

“ _ Rise-senpai? It's Nanako.” _

“Nanako-chan?” Rise said, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt. “Are you – calling from Souji's phone?”

“ _ Yeah, look, we don't have much time. Big Bro went back into the Shadow World to face his Shadow.” _

“He  _ what _ ?” Rise said, jumping off the bed. “No, no, I don't believe it! How could he be so stupid?” She immediately dove for her bag, tearing into the contents for some clothing more appropriate than the pajamas she was wearing. “We gotta go after him!”

“ _ I know, that's why I'm calling. He's in danger. I – feel it, I think.” _

Rise paused for a moment and closed her eyes. She reached out with her mind, but couldn't sense anything beyond her own thoughts. She never could use her powers in the real world, and had been surprised to learn that  _ Nanako _ could. Still, she said, “I, um, think I do too. I'll call everyone.”

“ _ Good,” _ Nanako said. “ _ They better come, if they know what's good for them.” _

“What do you mean?” Rise asked, pulling on a pair of bluejeans. “Of course they'll come!”  _ Whatever happened today, we're still a team. We're still his friends. _

“ _ Ok, sorry, I'm just...I'm thinking we should meet at Junes.” _

“Junes? Why?”

“ _ Well, Yosuke-senpai's back so we won't have to keep sneaking in and out of Taro-san's house. Besides, isn't that where you guys used to meet?” _

“But what about the police?”

“ _ The police won't be a problem, trust me.” _

Rise hesitated for a moment. Nanako's voice, while determined, had taken on a slightly threatening edge with that last statement. “Ok, I guess. I'll tell everyone to be there in a half hour.”

“ _ Good, see you then.” _ The line disconnected.

She tossed the phone onto the bed and pulled on a shirt. Before she reached down for her sneakers though, she sat down.  _ Senpai, why? _ Did he think he couldn't trust them after everything that had happened today? She could understand why he would have trouble trusting some of the others, but why not her? She  _ defended _ him for God's sake. What would she do if something happened to him?

She snatched up her sneakers and ran out of the room, hopping on one foot as she tried to cram the other into one of the shoes. She got a few stares from some couples sitting in the lounge, but ignored them as she ran outside. The sunset was clouded over, much like her own mind had become.

She stopped at the sidewalk and looked up. She wished she could summon her Persona, if just to tell Souji to stay where he was, that they were coming for him. That  _ she _ was coming for him.

She reached into her pocket and realized her phone was still on the bed where she'd dropped it. “Dammit,” she said, and ran back inside. She berated herself silently; she needed to focus.

If she didn't love Souji so much, she'd hate him for doing this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taro sipped his coffee and examined the cards laid out before him on the desk in his bedroom. He'd found them after they fought those Memflies, when Naoto had reappeared. He'd realized immediately they represented new Personas, but set them aside to look at later. He'd only just gotten used to summoning one Persona with one set of skills

The cards each had a different strange-looking character on them.  _ Do these really represent parts of myself? _ One looked like a bald woman with spiraling tattoos, wearing a long high-collared cape. “Dis” was her name, though he wasn't completely sure how he knew that.

The second was more monstrous. It had the upper body of an already-hideous middle-aged woman, but in place of its legs was a giant snake tail. Also, instead of hair it had dozens of tiny snakes that seemed to squirm about as he watched. He recognized it as Medusa, a monster from Greek myth, but for some reason this one was called “Gorgon”.

The third looked a lot more like Nanako's Persona. It was a blue-haired angelic figure, swathed in an enormous flowing robe and carrying a set of scales and a large book. “Dominion,” Taro muttered. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, though he wasn't really sure what good they would be for him.

He heard the door open behind him and he immediately swept the cards up. “Taro?”

“Yeah, Dad?” He spun the chair around to see his father, tie undone and hanging from his neck, and looking none too pleased. It was a look he'd gotten quite used to seeing over the years.

“How you feeling?”

“Fine,” Taro said, tucking the cards into his pocket.

“Takako said you were sick.”

“Well, I'm feeling better now.”

His father crossed his arms. “You know, you can't keep cutting out of work. If you're gonna take over the company someday...”

“I don't  _ want _ to take it over,” Taro interrupted.

“You don't have a whole lot of choice,” his father said. “Don't forget, nobody else would hire you.”

“How could I forget? You remind me about once a week.”

His father shook his head. “You've been acting strange since you started hanging around with that kid the other day. Now I know  _ you're _ not a kid anymore, but let me give you some advice. You need to get your head screwed on straight. You're smart, but at your age 'smart' doesn't mean as much as 'reputation'. And I'm not gonna mince words; your reputation is in the crapper, son.”

Taro sighed. “Is there anything else...” He was interrupted by his cell phone ringing, and his father rolled his eyes.

“Go ahead, I'm done,” he said as he left the room.

Taro grumbled and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“ _ Souji went into the TV by himself and we have to go get him!” _

“Wait, wait – is this Rise-san? Who did what?”

“ _ Souji went into the TV! We're meeting at Junes to go after him.” _

“Hold on – why?”

“ _ To face his Shadow, we think. Look, just meet us at Junes at seven, okay?” _

“Why there? After what happened last time...”

“ _ Because Yosuke's back on our side, of course! He can get us in.” _

Taro rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was tired, but if Souji was all alone in the Shadow World... “Okay, I'll...” He was interrupted by a thrumming in his chest pocket. He reached in and pulled the Persona cards back out. For the briefest of instants, he thought he saw a tiny blue butterfly fluttering about Gorgon's head. The last time he'd seen a butterfly like that... “I'll go in through my TV, and meet you guys at the Reverse Shrine.”

“ _ What? You're going in by yourself too?” _

“I have to go to the Velvet Room again,” Taro said. “Maybe – I think they can help.”

“ _ But what if you get attacked?” _

“I'm a fast runner,” Taro said. “Trust me, I'll be fine.”

There was a pause. “ _ You better be. If you get hurt I'll never forgive you.”  _ The call disconnected.

_ Guess she's finally warming up to me _ , Taro thought. He tucked the cards away again and walked gingerly down the stairs. His father was reclining on the sofa, his back to the stairs, watching sumo wrestling on TV. His mother was in the kitchen cooking up something. He walked up behind her. “I need to go out for a little while,” he said.

She didn't look up from the stove. “But dinner's almost ready.”

“I know, I'm sorry. Can you save any leftovers for me?”

His mother sighed. “Okay. Just don't be out too late. You worry your father.”

_ Yeah, right _ , he thought.  _ He hasn't worried about me for my own sake since I was three. _ “I won't.” He kissed her on the cheek and went over to the door. He grabbed his shoes, opened the front door, and then closed it noisily. He glanced into the kitchen, where his mother was still facing her cooking and away from him. He tiptoed past the kitchen and back up the stairs. Moving with deliberate steps to avoid any of the creaky floor slats, he slipped into the junk room and then immediately through the TV.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chie was lying on Yosuke's sofa, her head in his lap and her face buried in his stomach. He held her hands in both of his. It had taken some time for Chie's trembling to stop. Once they'd arrived at his apartment, she'd finally let down her guard and broken down crying. After she had calmed down a bit, and after a few gulps of beer, she had described to them the hell of her out-of-body experience. The pain had begun when Yukiko and Souji started trying to talk her out of her memory lock; she could feel the memories coming forth, though still just out of reach. With them had come something else: a loud buzzing that was so loud she couldn't think of anything except the excruciating pain it caused.

She didn't really remember what happened immediately after that, though from what Yosuke told her she'd run headlong through a TV screen and start screaming. That must have been when she felt something pierce her head, like metal straws thrust into her ears. Afterward she felt cold, slimy hands fondling her head, compressing it, her already intense pain increasing a hundredfold, until her mind spurted out of her head and exploded into tiny bits that spread as far as she could imagine, until they all suddenly stopped in place like flies stuck in molasses. She couldn't move, she couldn't think, and the whole time she could hear an incessant laughter.

When she had been finally reunited with herself, the shock of it had helped her block out all but the fear she'd experienced, and the knee-jerk anger it created within her. She had felt Shadow Souji's presence and immediately assumed he was the one that had done this to her, but as she had calmed down and taken the chance to sort herself out, she realized that it was not the Shadow but something else, something far more sadistic. Loki, Yukiko had called it. Another one of those damn gods that apparently liked to mess around with people.

After her recount, Chie had cuddled into Yosuke and cried some more, his shirt silencing her sobs as he held her tightly. Yukiko disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes and then returned holding two cups of tea. She handed one to Yosuke and held the other in both hands as she sat down on the floor in front of the sofa. “Chie, I brought you some tea.”

Chie laughed bitterly and rolled over. “Tea with beer? Sounds kinda British.” She accepted the cup anyway.

“It's got something in it to help you both sleep,” she said, looking up at Yosuke. “You both need it.”

“Where'd Teddie disappear to?” Yosuke said trying not to grimace at the cup. The dark, opaque liquid made it impossible to see if there was anything solid floating in it. He had learned years ago to not trust any food made by either Chie or Yukiko, despite Yukiko's claims of having improved over the years. How badly could she screw up tea, though?

Yukiko sighed. “This is the second batch. He drank all of the first one and passed right out. I  _ think _ he made it to bed.”

“What about you?” Chie said. “You had this memory thing happen to you today, too. Maybe you should stay here, take a break from the Inn and rest up a little.”

Yukiko shook her head. “I feel okay. I need to keep busy right now, anyway. I don't want to think about things too much. Even though what I went through seems like nothing compared to what you did.”

“Sure wasn't a picnic,” Yosuke said, “but...”

“But...what?” Chie said.

“I dunno,” Yosuke said. “I guess I was kinda thinking we've all had it rough today. Us here, Nanako-chan, Rise-chan...Souji-kun...”

Yukiko looked away when he said Rise's name. “Yukiko,” Chie said, “You can't take what that thing said seriously. It's the same as what any of our Shadows said. Yeah, we all had some embarrassing secrets, but we got past it, right?”

“We were all a lot closer then,” Yukiko said. “I mean, we three are still close, I hope, but...it's more complicated now.”

“But we're all still friends,” Yosuke said. “We don't go through the kind of hell we all went through back then and then just break apart. Though – I guess we kinda did...but it was just more of a drift apart, you know? We didn't actually, like,  _ break _ up or anything. But all that stuff that happened, I think we're the only ones who have that in common. That's something.”

“I guess,” Yukiko said, not really sure which part of Yosuke's observation she was agreeing with. “I just don't really want to think about him...it.”

Chie took Yukiko's hand. “You still in love with him?”

“Chie,” Yukiko said, “that's not the point. I just – can't be with him.” She stood. “I really need to get home. If you...”

“Guh!” Yosuke said, jumping in his seat and splashing tea onto his hand. “Ow!”

“Ow, hey!” Chie said, dropping her teacup on the floor, sending hot tea and ceramic chunks all over. She sat up and put a hand to her forehead. “You hit me with your belt buckle, you dork!”

“Sorry,” he said, setting his tea down on the end table and sucking on his hand. “Damn, that burns.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. It vibrated in his grip. “It's Rise-chan.” Yukiko closed her eyes and shook her head as Yosuke opened the phone. “Hello?”

“ _ Yosuke-kun, it's Rise. We have to go back in the TV right now.” _

“What? Why?”

“What is it?” Chie asked.

“ _ Souji went back in to face his Shadow. Alone.” _

“He what?”

“What?” Chie insisted, yanking his sleeve.

“Souji went in after his Shadow,” Yosuke said.

“He did what?” Yukiko shouted.

“ _ Is that Chie-chan and Yukiko-chan with you?” _

“Yeah, they're here.” He pressed the speakerphone button.

“ _ Well, we all need to go. Nanako thinks he's in danger, and I think she's right.” _

“Dammit!” Yosuke said, smacking his scalded fist into the armrest. “God dammit, Souji, what the hell are you thinking?”

“ _ We can get mad at him later,” _ Rise said, “ _ but we gotta save him first.” _

“Yeah, yeah, we're coming,” Yosuke said.

“ _ Can you get us into Junes?” _

“Um...” He checked the clock. “Yeah, no problem.”

“ _ Okay, we meet there at seven, okay?” _

“Seven, yeah,” Yosuke said. “We'll be there.”

“Does Nanako know if he's hurt?” Yukiko asked. “He, uh – has he had to fight on his own?”

There was a pause. “ _ I don't know,” _ Rise finally said. “ _ But we need to hurry. And tell Teddie too. No idea what we'll have to face but I think we'll need everyone.” _

“Yeah, we'll be there.” Yosuke closed the phone.

Chie jumped to her feet, and stomped her foot. Her eyes were still red and raw, but her jaw was set. “What the hell is it with you men, anyway? Who's he trying to impress?”

“I think he didn't want to put us in danger,” Yukiko said.

“Yeah, well this is a dumb way to do it,” Chie said. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “I shouldn't have had that second beer. Yosuke, go wake up Teddie.”

“If you can,” Yukiko added as Yosuke stood. “I mean, it's just chamomile tea, but you know how Teddie is.”

“I'll try,” Yosuke said, heading for the kitchen and the bedrooms beyond it.

As Chie sank to the ground in a split, she said, “Damn him. I thought he was smarter than this.”

“Not always,” Yukiko said, a small wistful smile playing on her lips. “Sometimes he's kind of impulsive. Like you.”

“Impulsive? No way, I outgrew that years ago.”

“You like to think you did,” Yukiko said.

“I did!” Chie said. “I'm just really good at, you know, shooting from the hip! And speaking of which...” She stood and grabbed her gun from the table by the door, slipping it into her boot.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Yukiko said.

“Yeah, I'm totally fine,” Chie said.

“But you...”

“Yukiko, I can do this. I have to. If I sit around all night crying while you guys are out risking your lives I'm gonna go nuts.”

Yosuke re-entered from the kitchen. “Well we can forget Teddie. You might as well've put morphine in that stuff, 'cause he's out cold.”

“Crap,” Chie said. “Well, I hope we'll be enough.”

“We've got Nanako-chan and Namatame-san now,” Yukiko said. “Hopefully that'll make up for him.”

“Yeah, I'm still not so sure about Namatame watching my back,” Yosuke said, rummaging through the closet by the front door. “Yeah, he's got his own Persona, and he seems okay, but he was a real mess before.” He pulled out a pair of knives from an old shoebox, each in its own leather sheath. “Man, never thought I'd need these again.”

“He seems better now,” Yukiko said. “We'll just have to trust him, if S...” She sighed. “If Souji trusts him, we should too.”

“I'm ready,” Chie said, performing a pair of practice kicks. “Let's go kick some Shadow ass.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naoto found herself smiling for what felt like the first time in years. Having just closed up the shop, Kanji was helping her wrap up her work in the storeroom. They'd been chatting for at least fifteen minutes.

“So the guy comes back, looks like a puppy that just got smacked with a newspaper,” Kanji said. “Puts the fabric on the counter, remember it's purple, and says, 'Uh, can I have blue instead?' So I asked him why the change of heart, and he says, 'Well, it looked blue to me.' Guy's colorblind and his wife sends him in to get fabric. You believe that?”

“Sounds like poor judgment on her part,” Naoto said.

“I know, it's nuts,” Kanji said. “You know, that was the first good laugh I got after my...” His smile melted and he turned away. “Well, anyway.”

Of course, that explained why she hadn't heard this story before. “Well, I hope you didn't laugh in his face too hard,” she said. “Sounds like he was embarrassed enough already.”

Kanji sighed. “Yeah, I nearly choked on my tongue, tryin' not to laugh. Hey, uh, I think that's good for today.”

“Are you sure?” Naoto asked. She hooked her thumb toward three cartons sitting by the overhead door. “I can have those finished in a half hour.”

“Yeah, but I gotta eat,” Kanji said. “And I think even detectives've gotta eat dinner too.”

Naoto's stomach did feel particularly empty, a sensation she just now noticed only because he'd pointed it out to her. She'd been enjoying Kanji's presence so much she hadn't bothered to think about anything else. “All right, if you say so. What time would you like me in tomorrow morning to finish them up?”

“Morning?” Kanji said. “Hey, uh, you really don't have to. You've already helped a lot.”

“I want to help more,” Naoto said.

“What, running out of detective work to do?”

Naoto tilted her head. “Maybe.” She smiled again, and Kanji turned away. She thought she could detect the faintest tinge of pink in his cheeks.

“Well, okay,” Kanji said. “But you gotta let me pay you something. How 'bout...uh, well, dinner or something?”

Naoto's heart skipped a beat. “D-dinner?”

“Um, uh, yeah, you know, my treat. Least I can do for all ya been doing for me today. Aiya across the street's pretty good.”

“Well, how can I say no to that?” Naoto said. She bowed. “I thank you, sir.”

“Hey, enough with all the formal stuff. You can just, uh, call me Kanji, if you want.” He gestured toward the front of the shop and she followed. He flipped off the storeroom lights, locked the register, and met her at the door after putting his shoes back on. “Hey, uh, sorry about all that stuff I was sayin' before.”

“What stuff?” Naoto asked as they stepped outside.

Kanji locked the front door. “You know, about you harassing me and stuff. I just had a bad history around here when I was a kid, did some stupid stuff, and had the cops' attention more than I really wanted.”

“Trust me, it's fine,” Naoto said. “I took no offense.”

“Obviously not, if you still came to help me out,” Kanji said. “You know...”

Naoto's phone chirped, and she jumped. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and checked the name: “Rise”.  _ Probably calling to apologize, _ she thought.

_ I don't want to hear anything from her right now. _

_ No, I don't. This is  _ my  _ time, not hers. _

“Uh, not gonna answer it?” Kanji said.

Naoto realized she'd been staring at the display, and pressed the End button. The ringing stopped. “No,” she said. “Nothing important.”

“It's no big deal,” Kanji said. “I can take a raincheck...”

“It's fine,” Naoto said. “I'm much more looking forward to some nice Chinese food than talking to that person.”

Kanji shrugged. “Fine, whatever.”

“Anyway, you were saying?”

“I was? What was I saying?”

“You said, 'You know,' and then my phone rang.”

“Oh,” Kanji said. “Well, uh, I don't really remember what I was gonna say. 'It was probably a lie,' my mom used to say.”

“I doubt it,” Naoto said, realizing she'd said it out loud instead of thinking it.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, uh, I mean – you're a very honest person,” Naoto said. “Straightforward and to the point. I get the feeling you don't lie very often.”

“Huh?” Kanji said. “Wait, oh, 'feeling', that's right. That's what I was gonna say. Since I've been talking to you, I'm starting to get the feeling I know you from sometime before. Didn't you say we were friends once?”

“Yes, I did,” Naoto said, her heart suddenly thumping hard in her chest. Despite the muggy warmth of the evening air, she a slight chill crawled down her arms. “Does that mean you remember me?”

“Uh, nah, not really. Just kinda like a feeling, like you're more familiar than I thought you were.”

Naoto' mouth kept trying to curl into a smile, and she had to clamp her lips tightly shut to keep it from doing so. Maybe she was finally getting through to him, but she needed to keep control over herself. She needed to make sure she didn't say or do anything that would jeopardize his remembering her.

And then her heart started to sink again. What if he remembered them being together, and then remembered pushing her away? What if he remembered why he did it, whatever that reason was?

She would have to be very careful at this point. She already lost Kanji once, and she wasn't sure she could stand losing him again. But right now she was going to enjoy a nice dinner with him, and let nothing interrupt it.

Everything else could wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Shadow World had been very calm, much more so than Taro had expected. While he didn't have the kind of precognition that Rise and Nanako seemed to share, it felt a lot less dangerous this time around. He had managed to avoid contact with any Memflies and made his way quickly to the Reverse Shopping District. As soon as he turned the corner he saw the familiar blue glyph against the shop wall a little way down. He remembered that, last time they'd passed this way, it hadn't been there.  _ Why is it there now? _

He strode, almost in auto-pilot, to the Velvet Room door. He held his hand up, a warmth from the door soaking his palm. For some reason that felt unusual to him; he didn't remember that kind of warmth from the door last time. Taking a deep breath, he touched the door and in a flash of bright light found himself inside.

The room itself was the same as he'd seen it before, and Igor was still seated in his loveseat before a large round table. Now, though, a tall woman was standing next to him. She had a regal air about her, with wavy blond hair bound by a simple headband, and clad in a blue business suit. She was clutching a large book at her front, stamped in gold with words in a language he didn't understand. She observed him with a tilt to her brow, revealing eyes that appeared in the room's sparse light to be an eerie shade of bright green that almost glowed on its own. The sight of it reminded him somewhat of the green light at the Reverse Shrine.

“Ah, you have returned,” Igor said. “And this time it was of your own volition.”

“Please allow me to welcome you to the Velvet Room,” the woman said. “My master has told me about you, Taro Namatame, though I regret we have not been formally introduced. I am Margaret. I am fortunate to meet you now, as I have only just returned from my...sojourn.”

“Margaret?” Taro said. “Souji's friend, right?”

“Friend?” Margaret said, smiling demurely. “He has spoken of me, then?”

“He was looking for you last time, when we were both here,” Taro said.

“I see you have gathered some new Personas,” Igor said. “You are already beginning to unlock the deepest secrets of your soul.”

“This would be a good time for me to introduce you to the Compendium,” Margaret said, opening the book. “In here, you may...”

“Later, listen,” Taro interrupted, “Souji's in trouble. I think. He has a Shadow, and it's got powers like...well, a  _ god _ , I suppose. It helped his friends get their memories back, but we went back to the real world without fighting it. Then Souji came back on his own, we think to fight it by himself.”

“Souji-san is very powerful,” Margaret said, closing the book again. “Even after all this time, his potential is limitless. I would not worry for his safety just yet.”

“Huh,” Taro said. “So you don't think he's in danger?”

“Oh, I'm certain he is in danger,” Margaret said, “but he is more than capable of handling himself even in the most perilous situations. He even managed to defeat me in direct combat.”

Taro crossed his arms.“You and he fought?”

“Yes...well, not in this plane. It is difficult to explain, but time for residents of the Velvet Room does not flow in a linear pattern.”

“So you're not going to help him?”

“We cannot directly interfere in the affairs of mortals,” Igor said. He cast a sidelong glance at Margaret, who lowered her head. “It is not our place.”

Taro shrugged. “Well, thanks for nothing, I guess.” He turned around and reached for the door.

“Wait, don't be angry,” Margaret said, stepping forward. Taro turned to face her. She had both eyebrows raised, and was looking at him with what he thought was a pleading expression. “Perhaps there is a way I can help you. I...should not do this, but I will allow you to use Souji-san's Compendium, containing all the Personas he discovered.” She glanced back to Igor, who was staring at her intently. “There is no guarantee you will be able to use many of these, and indeed many will be beyond your current ability to control, but if Souji-san's hidden self is at least as powerful as he, you will need to maximize your own power if you plan to face it.”

Taro dropped his hand to his side. “All right, fine. Tell me about this 'Compendium'.”

Some time later Taro reappeared in the Reverse Shopping District. The Compendium was quite fascinating, and he was surprised to learn just how much power Souji commanded. Taro had started to wonder if he would really need their help after all.

He was also surprised to find that, despite their claims of being above the affairs of “mere mortals”, Igor and Margaret charged Japanese yen for each Persona he intended to recall from the Compendium. He hadn't expected to need any money in the Shadow World, and left his wallet at home. Not that he had much money to begin with, though, and he doubted the Velvet Room accepted credit cards. Given the high price for those Personas, and how much that Margaret claimed he had used it, he wondered if Souji had some billions of yen stashed away somewhere.  _ Probably not after paying those prices _ , he thought.

“ _ Taro-san, can you hear me?” _

Taro looked up into the sky. “Rise-san? Where are you?”

“ _ We just got in, and we're on our way to you,” _ she replied. “ _ Shopping District, right? Anything happening where you are?” _

He looked around. There were no Memflies around, and even the green glow that had once been around the bend to the north was missing. “Nope, it's pretty quiet. I'm right here by the Velvet Room door. You remember where, right?”

“ _ What?” _ said another voice from Rise's end. It sounded male. “ _ What the hell's a Velvet Room?” _

“ _ I'll explain later,”  _ Rise said. “ _ Taro-san, we'll be there in a few.” _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The team took about ten minutes to reach Taro, with Rise checking in on him every couple minutes. He spent the time watching for any aggressive Memflies. If he found himself outmatched he planned to duck back into the Velvet Room, though without any money he wasn't sure if they'd do anything substantial to help him. Fortunately for him, it seemed to be a quiet night in Reverse Inaba, with the only substantial contact being the team itself. He saw them walking toward him, with a couple conspicuous absences: Naoto and Teddie weren't among them. Before he could remark on that, though, Nanako said, “Teddie was too exhausted to come, I guess. And Naoto-senpai, well, we couldn't reach her.”

“She's ignoring our calls,” Rise said, scowling. “I think we've all tried by now. It rings like twice, and her voicemail picks up. She knows we're calling.” She crossed her arms. “What the hell's wrong with her?”

“Hey,” Chie said. “Listen, it's been a rotten day for everyone, okay? Maybe she just...it was too hard on her.” She shivered a little, and Yosuke pulled her in close. Rise saw this sign of support, the affection between them, and felt a stab of jealousy. She really wished she could hold someone right now. She wanted to be holding Souji right now.

“We need to get moving,” Yukiko said. “Nanako, anything?”

Nanako shook her head. “Nope. It's almost like he's not here. That really worries me.”

“Don't worry,” Taro said. “Believe me, Souji's strong. I'm sure he's okay.”

They continued north together, nobody willing or able to speak another word. As they reached the intersection just before the Shrine, though, Rise said, “Hold up.” They stopped as she summoned Kanzeon.

“Okay, Pers...” Nanako started.

“No,” Rise said. “It's okay, I think I... Yeah, there he is. It's faint, but I can see him.”

“Senpai, I can help...”

“No, no,” Rise said, dismissing Kanzeon. “I'm done.”

“Senpai?” Nanako said, placing a hand on Rise's arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Rise said. “Let's go.” She started toward the shrine. After sharing some concerned glances, the rest of the team followed.

As soon as they arrived they saw Shadow Souji still sitting in its golden throne, but there was another throne in front of it with its back to them. “Well, I guess that's enough talk for now,” said Shadow Souji, nodding to them. “Looks like your friends have arrived to rescue you.”

Souji, jumped from the other throne and faced them. He held his hands up. “No – no...you guys need to leave.”

“Like hell!” Yosuke said. “We're not leaving you alone to face that – thing all by yourself!”

“It's more complicated than that,” Souji said.

“No, it's simple,” Nanako said. “We kick its ass, and we all go home!”

“No, you don't undestand...”

“Souji, come over here, please,” Rise said, stepping forward. She held her hand out to him and started walking slowly toward him. “You've saved us all, more than once. Let us save you this time.”

“He doesn't need saving,” Shadow Souji said, standing from his own throne. “At least, not by you. He needs to save himself, with a little of my help.”

“Shut up!” Yukiko said. “You're no different than any of the other Shadows we've fought!”

Shadow Souji rolled his eyes. “You people just don't like to listen once you've made up your minds, do you? You practically have to be hit over the head. Fine, then. He doesn't need saving because he and I will be joining as one.”

“What?” Taro said. “You mean joining as in, 'he accepted you and you're going to become part of him again', right?”

“Not quite,” Shadow Souji said. “Joining him as in 'together we shall be as a god'. As in 'we shall destroy Loki and then remake this world for the good of all humankind'.”

“No – no, it can't...Souji, say it's not true!”

“Rise...I – I can't...”

“No, Big Bro, I don't believe it!” Nanako ran forward to him and threw her arms around him. “He's manipulating you! Don't let him do it! You're stronger than that!”

Souji's eyes dropped to the ground. “I'm sorry, everyone, but I have to do this. It's the only way.”

“No you don't!” Chie shouted. She, Yosuke, Yukiko and Taro joined Rise and Nanako in confronting him. “You were powerful enough to beat Izanami by yourself. You don't have to...have to...”

“You don't have to sell your soul to that...thing!” Yukiko added, pointing at Shadow Souji.

“Listen, everyone, I don't have time to explain all the details, but say we all go fight Loki. What happens? More people get hurt in the real world? More people go to the hospital?” Souji shook his head. “I'm not going to let us be responsible for hurting anyone else.” He turned back to his Shadow. “If this is what I have to do, if I have to give up...being human, at least for a little while...I'd rather that than anyone else get hurt.”

There was a bright flash in the sky and a clap of thunder. Both Soujis looked up briefly, and the Shadow displayed his middle finger toward the sky. Souji sighed, and then turned and walked back toward the Shadow.

“Big Bro, wait!” Nanako started toward him, but found her feet firmly attached to the ground. “What the...?” The gray concrete on which they were standing had risen up, covering all their feet up to the ankles.

Yosuke tried to pull away, but likewise was stuck in place. “What the hell! I can't move!”

“Me either!” Chie said.

“What are you doing to us?” Rise said. “Souji, you've got to help us!”

“He  _ is _ helping you, through  _ me _ ,” Shadow Souji said. “We're protecting you by forcing you to stay behind. Just hold tight for a few minutes and it'll all be over with.”

“Souji-kun,” Taro said, “are you sure this is what you want?”

Souji stopped, but did not face them. Taro could see he was hanging his head. “No, but it's what I have to do.” Souji looked back up at his Shadow. “I'm ready.”

“Good,” Shadow Souji said. “The longer we stand here yapping, the harder our battle will be.”

“No, Souji, please!” Yukiko said. “Please, let's just talk! Just for a few minutes!”

“No...he won't talk,” Nanako said. “He's – afraid we'll talk him out of it.”

“Souji, please don't!” Rise shouted. “Please! I love you!”

“Stop it, everyone!” Souji cried out, still facing away from them. Tears were running down his cheeks, and that was the last thing he wanted them to see. “I lo...” He paused, and then swallowed. “I love you...all. And I'll...be back as soon as I can.” he reached out toward his Shadow. His Shadow, likewise, reached out to him. They locked hands, and there was a sudden flash of green light. A shockwave hit the team, shattering the concrete that had rooted them to the spot and knocking them all to the ground.

As they recovered they could see a giant cloud of green, coalescing into the spot where the two Soujis had been. “Oh my God,” Rise said. She tried to call Kanzeon, but something seemed to be blocking it.

“There's – there's three of him there!” Nanako said. “No, four! No, no, I can't...I can't see him clear enough!”

“Souji!” Yukiko screamed.

The cloud started to take shape from the bottom up, revealing four muscular legs ending in flat, elephant-like feet. At their tops formed an abdomen with a round, sagging stomach. The abdomen stretched back into a long, thick tail ending in dozens of tiny, vicious-looking barbs.

As it continued forming upward, a thin torso took shape, with short, spindly arms sprouting from angled shoulders. A neck rose from the top of the torso, and then split into two. The necks grew until they were longer than the stunted arms, and then finally terminated in a pair of heads. The heads were almost completely human, both topped with hair the exact same style of Souji's. Once it fully solidified they could see it was covered in rough green scales like a lizard. The faces, though, were identical to Souji's, except that both glared down at them with yellow, slit-pupiled eyes.

The left-side head smiled at them, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. “Thanks for waiting,” it said in Souji's voice.

“S-Souji,” Rise said. “Souji, no...”

“I'll return, everyone,” the right-hand head said. “I promise.” The creature spread its arms and began to ascend into the gray sky.

“Big Bro...” Nanako said. She felt a hand on hers. She looked over to see it was Yukiko's.

“He'll – he'll be okay,” Yukiko said, her voice quiet. “He has to be.”

“You'd better come back!” Yosuke shouted to the sky. He pushed himself up to his feet, feeling a bit lightheaded afterward. “You better!”

Within seconds the creature that had once been two Soujis disappeared into the clouds, and all was silent again. The Shrine was empty, even of the two thrones that had been there only a moment before. There was nothing of color left except for the team themselves, and the silence was oppressive.

Nobody could find words for what they had just seen, or what they were feeling. Rise had sat up and was hugging her knees to her chest, shaking her head repeatedly. She was mouthing something silently. Chie had taken Yosuke's hand and was staring up into the sky with him. Nanako was hugging Yukiko, and Taro sat still, his finger to his chin, as if he were in deep thought.

Taro rose slowly to his feet. “We should go back,” he said.

Everyone turned to him. “You mean leave him?” Chie said.

“I can't leave him,” Rise said quietly. “I can't leave him. I  _ won't _ .”

“There's nothing more we can do," Taro said. "Souji made his choice, and it's his fight now. All we can do is hope. And pray.”


	14. Icarus’ Folly

The divided one ascended toward its destiny, what would be its one, final battle. The right half tried to focus, distracting itself from the guilt of leaving its friends behind.

The left half sensed this.  _ You must not dwell on the past, if we are to defeat the trickster. This was the only way it could be done, the only way to save them all. You know this. _

_ I know, but I've just – I've got a feeling I won't see them again. _

_ You'll see them again. I can guarantee that. _

_ You can? How? _

_ Not now, he is very close. Be ready... _

Their ascent slowed to a stop before a bright sphere of green. It flashed, and then condensed and darkened into a familiar blue-skinned form.

The right half summoned up its mental strength.  _ Loki! You're done hurting my friends. I'm putting a stop to you right here, right now! _

The trickster laughed.  _ You look more like a 'we' than an 'I', o bifurcated one. Two sides of the same coin – but which is heads, and which tails? Or are you both tails? _

The right half spat its disgust.  _ I've got the power to get rid of you now, and I'm going to do it! This is for everyone whose memories you stole!  _ The divided one flew at the trickster, and then suddenly stopped.

The right half gasped. It tried to continue the assault, but the shared body would no longer follow his commands.  _ What...what are you doing? We have to end this now! _

The trickster tittered.  _ So you finally convinced him. _

The divided one backed away from the trickster as the right half struggled for control. The left half simply nodded.  _ It seems his love for his friends is greater than for himself. You were right; never underestimate the martyr complex of a mortal idiot. _

_ No...no, this can't... _ The right half struggled with all its might, but soon even its jaw was locked away from its control.

The left half laughed.  _ Thank you for giving up your body so willingly. I honestly thought it would be harder than it was. Of all your idiot friends, I thought you'd be the smart one. You never lost faith even when my Master made your friends, even your “Little Sis”, so violently hostile toward you. But, I guess all it took was a “mysterious voice” telling you that they'd finally abandoned you. I could've tried that days ago and saved all this hassle. _

The right half poured every ounce of its will into taking back some, any control. Tears started to flow from its eyes with the effort, but it could not so much as open its mouth to speak.

The trickster waved his hands.  _ Don't be too broken up, my dear Fool. You'll be able to watch their end, and be rid of them forever. Just as your Shadow...as your deepest self, desired. _

The right half's head was snapped back as the trickster plunged its hand into the massive throat. He yanked out a mass of threads, white and glowing, and squealing in apparent agony as they were drawn from the body that had once been their own. The right half faded away until the left half dominated the body, and the divided became unified.

The left side basked in the new freedom.  _ So this is what it feels like to be real. The true power of the Fool, and none of the baggage. The first Shadow to be truly independent. _ The unified one twirled in the air, a cry of joy escaping its sharp-toothed maw.

The mass of white threads in the trickster's hands cried out in a wordless plea. The trickster snickered, and then slapped his hands together. The threads shattered into countless tiny specks of white, and with a mighty breath, the trickster blew them across the gray heavens.  _ Go now, be one with your false world, and watch your friends die. _

The united one returned to its place before its master.  _ Despite his annoyance toward them, he really does love them. It will be so delicious to feel his pain as they are snuffed out one by one. _

The trickster examined the united one with a critical eye.  _ Flush your land of them. Then, open up the new land to us and we will rival even the “great” brother himself. _

The united one bowed.  _ It'll be a day to shake the heavens forever. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wait, you mean leave him here?” Nanako said, releasing Yukiko and turning to Taro. “After we all came in to get him?” She shook her head. “No way. I'm not going anywhere. You guys can go back if you want, but I'm gonna stay here until Big Bro's back.”

“Me too,” Yosuke said. “I – uh...I kinda owe him.” He ran his hand through his hair absently. “I mean – I've been a real ass to him lately.”

“Yeah,” Chie said, nodding.

“You didn't have to agree with me so quickly, ya know,” Yosuke said, his expression gloomy.

“No I mean...I meant me too. I've been a jerk to him. Even though I didn't know him...” she sighed. “Maybe it's our fault he decided to do this. I just can't believe we couldn't fight those things out of our own heads. All that time we spent fighting Shadows...”

“He's doing what he does,” Yukiko said. “Risking himself to help others. Don't blame yourselves.” She felt a twinge as she said that. Thinking back, it hurt her that she had let him slip away, both as a lover and as a friend. Even though they had both changed, maybe if she'd tried a little harder to be understanding... “I'm staying too. Back then, we swore we were going to stand by each other no matter what, even if it meant our lives. I'm not going back on that.”

Rise looked up from her knees at each of them, and couldn't help but smile a little. If only they'd been like this earlier, maybe Souji wouldn't have run off in the first place.  _ And become some weird giant lizard creature _ , she thought.  _ Maybe none of this would've happened... _ She stood, swallowing the sob that had been choking her. “So we're a team again. For real now.”

“Rrrrawwrrr! I'm in!”

They all spun around to see Teddie, fully dressed in his bear “outfit”, running toward them. “Teddie?” Yosuke said. “I thought you were passed out back home!”

“No way! Nobody can keep a good bear down!” He ran to the center of everyone and stood triumphantly for a moment. Then he leaned back, letting out a loud open mouthed yawn. “So, uh, what's going on?”

“Wait, how did you even know to come here?” Yukiko said.

“Well, I – uh...I had a dream, and some blond woman told me that Sensei needed me. So here I am, fresh and fuzzy-faced! So where is he?”

“Blond woman?” Taro asked.

“Yeah,” Teddie said. “But real blond, not like Rise-chan.”

“Hey!” Rise said, touching her hair with one hand. “I'll have you know I dyed it this way for my work in a movie!”

“But it's awful!” Teddie said, as if it were the most amusing thing in the world to him. “I mean, it  _ totally _ doesn't look good on you at all!”

“What?”

“Well,” Taro said loudly, before Rise could retaliate, “then I guess it might as well be unanimous.” He stepped forward. “I owe Souji-kun my life, and that's something I can never pay back. I'm going to keep trying, though. Whatever I have to do.”

He held out his hand. For a moment, everyone stared at it. Taro raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat, and finally Nanako placed her hand on his.

Yosuke added his hand to the pile, saying, “We're not gonna have to say something weird again, like 'woohoo', right?”

“What're you talking about?” Chie said as she added her hand.

“Um, you don't remember?” Yukiko said, placing her hand on top of Chie's.

Rise sighed as her hand on top went on top. “Just never mind guys, huh? Teddie, c'mon, make it complete.”

Teddie slapped his mitten-like hand onto the pile.

“We're a team,” Yosuke said.

“We save everyone, or we die trying,” Taro said.

“Whoa,” Chie said. “That's, um...wow.”

“We save everyone, or we die trying,” Rise said, raising her eyebrows. “Just like last time.”

“Well, all right,” Chie said. “We save everyone, or we die trying.” The others joined in immediately afterward.

“All right - break!” Chie shouted, and quickly snapped her hand up. The others, not as quick on the uptake, were left partway in and partway out of the group handshake. Chie rolled her eyes. “Oh come  _ on _ . You guys started it!”

“Um, break,” Taro said, lifting his hand up. The others followed suit.

Chie sighed. “You guys can really be dorks sometimes, you know?”

“Ooh, I'm a dork?” Teddie said. “That sounds so cool!”

“ _ So _ , Rise-senpai,” Nanako said, “think you can call him and let him know we're all here for him?”

“Yeah. As long as my  _ awful _ hair doesn't get in the way.” Rise cast a death-glare at Teddie, but then summoned Kanzeon. “Um...I can't see him. Nanako-chan, can...” Before she could finish her request Nanako had already summoned Seraph. After a moment of joint scanning, Rise said, “Well, I think I see about where he  _ might _ be, but I can't lock onto him. Almost like he's in more than one place at the same time. Kinda like Chie-chan was...um, sorry.”

“Well, can you just shout to him or something?” Chie said. “Sort of a, 'hey, we're all rooting for you!' kind of thing?”

“Yeah!” Teddie said. “Tell him we can't bear the wait!”

Everyone but Rise turned to him. Yosuke and Chie groaned. “'Bear the anticipation?'” Yukiko said. After a pregnant pause, she continued, “Don't you ever get tired of puns?”

Teddie crossed his arms. “Humph! You  _ used _ to think I was funny.”

“I'll give it a shot,” Rise said. “Minus the  _ awful _ puns. Anyway, here goes.” She took a deep breath. “ _ Souji! We know you can do it!” _ The other clenched their heads and turned away from her. “ _ We're waiting for you to get back!” _

“Ow!” Yosuke said. “Man, that was loud!”

“I think my teeth are ringing,” Yukiko said.

“Sorry,” Rise said. “I've never really done that before.”

A familiar voice suddenly echoed from above: “ _ I'm glad to hear that!” _

Rise gasped. “Souji? Is that you?”

“ _ Yes. I'm on my way back.” _

“Wow,” Yosuke said. “That was – kinda quick, wasn't it?”

“Maybe he's so super-powered now that he  _ totally _ kicked Loki's ass from here to Hell,” Chie said. “He went up there and gave it a hwaa-taa!” She performed a roundhouse kick, almost kicking Yosuke, but then losing her balance and falling into his arms.

“Hey, whoa, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chie said. She blinked her bloodshot eyes a few times. “Must be more tired than I thought I was.”

“Well, it's been kind of a messed up day,” Yosuke said. “I mean, we get up this morning ready to kick Souji-kun's ass...”

“Don't remind me,” Chie said, righting herself on her feet.

“Well, it's been a long day anyway, even without all the crap that's happened.”

“Hey, can I ask you guys a question?” Nanako asked. “Not to change the subject and all, but, it's kinda been bugging me. The Shadow said you guys really aren't engaged, right? But didn't I come to your engagement party?”

“Uh...yeah, you did,” Yosuke said.

“We had a party,” Chie said. “Because we're engaged.”

“Well, yeah, I think...uh, I mean yeah, of  _ course _ we are!” Yosuke said.

“But Souji's Shadow said you weren't,” Yukiko said. “Why would it lie?”

“Just to screw with us, I guess,” Yosuke said. “It was really being a jerkass.”

“But none of the other Shadows ever told a lie, did they?” Chie said. “I mean, they exaggerated, but did any of them ever actually  _ lie _ about something.”

“Huh,” Taro said. “Maybe it's just like the Shadow said, that it wasn't any ordinary Shadow.” He turned to Nanako. “Nanako-san, you okay?”

Nanako was staring at the gray Shrine. “A lie. A  _ lie _ . Not just  _ one _ lie. All of it?  _ Run? _ ” She snapped her gaze up to the sky. “Oh, no....”

“What?” Taro said.

“Guys, I think we need to run.  _ Now _ .” She started backing away toward the street.

“What?” Yosuke said. “Run from...?” He was cut off by a loud whistling from overhead. Chie grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. “What the hell...?” he started, but the whistling had grown so loud he couldn't even hear himself speaking. He could just barely see a glint of light overhead.

“Come on!” Chie shouted, barely audible over the whine, and yanked him backward. They all ran away from the Shrine out to the street.

“ _ Keep running!” _

That was in their heads, as if Rise were speaking to them through her Persona's power, but the voice itself was Nanako's. Before they could comply, Nanako threw her hands up and shouted “Seraph!” Her Persona appeared and raised an invisible shield just as an explosion in the Shrine threw dust and debris into the air. The shockwave slammed directly into Seraph's shield which blunted much of the blow, though letting through some of the sheer force. The less-than-aerodynamic Teddie was blown onto his back as he cried out in surprise.

“No!” Nanako shouted. As the dust cleared the rest of the team could see what had caused it. What stood before them, towering over the shattered remains of the Shrine, was the same creature that had formed before them and then ascended into the gray sky only minutes before. The only difference was that, now, it had only one head. That head grinned at them with undisguised malevolence.

“ _ And now I get to get rid of you idiots,” _ the creature said.

“What did you do to Souji?” Nanako shouted.

“ _ Your beloved Big Bro is...no longer with me. I've now got all of his power, and none of his pathetic compassion.” _

“Sensei, no!” Teddie cried. “I don't care what you smell like, you're not him!”

“You – what did you do to him?” Yosuke cried.

“ _ Oh, he's actually closer than you think,”  _ Shadow Souji said. “ _ I daresay you're breathing him into your lungs as you speak. Go ahead, take another deep breath of fresh Souji.” _

Chie's throat seized and she let out a squeak. “No – no, it can't...”

“You son of a bitch!” Yukiko leaped out from behind Nanako, tossed a card from her pocket and slashed at it with her fan. “Persona!” Amaterasu appeared and drew her hands back.

“ _ Ah, how eerily appropriate...” _ the Shadow started, before Amaterasu flung a gigantic ball of fire at it. And then a second. A third. Soon the entire Shrine was awash in white-hot flame. Yukiko collapsed to her knees, her Persona's rapid-fire spells having sapped enormous amounts of strength.

There was a deep, almost forced, laughter and the flames began to spiral at their center. The fireball shrank, and they all watched in horror as they saw the Shadow was  _ swallowing _ the flames. Once they had completely disappeared into the Shadow's mouth it grinned toothily. They could see that the Shrine was now almost completely empty except for the Shadow, only blackened, smoldering remains where the honden had once been. The nearby hedges and the adjacent building were starting to turn black, smoke rising from them.

The Shadow belched a small fireball that quickly dissipated. “ _ Pardon me,” _ the Shadow said. “ _ My turn.” _ It breathed deeply. “ _ Izanagi!” _

“No you don't!” Nanako shouted. She thrust her hands toward the shadow. The shield that had protected them earlier now pulled away from them and shrank into a smaller white sphere. It shot toward the Shadow and flew into its mouth. Its throat swelled and it began to spasm and thrash. “God my  _ ass _ !” Nanako shouted. “Everyone run!”

“But it's distracted, can't we...?” Chie started.

“We can't hurt it!” Rise said from behind Kanzeon's visor. “It's not gonna make a mistake like that again!”

“Didn't you see what it did to my Agidyne?” Yukiko said.

“No time to argue!” Taro said. “Let's go!”

They followed her down the Shopping district, but they all screeched to a halt when they saw a wall of Memflies coming directly toward them. “Aw shit!” Yosuke said. “Where the hell do we go?”

“ _ No...nowhere!” _ came the Shadow's voice through its coughs. They turned back to see that it had, apparently, reverted to its human form, but was clothed in a bright green aura. Its eyes were piercing yellow flood beams focused directly on them. It spasmed again as it coughed, but Rise knew better than to think it was significantly weakened.

The team looked around, but all paths of escape seemed blocked. Taro noticed the Velvet Room door just down the street. He might be able to make it there before the Memflies did, but what about the others?  _ No, _ he thought. Whatever fate lay in store for them would be his as well.  _ Even if it means my life... _

Nanako cried out and clutched her head. Something was coming at her from all directions, words in disjointed syllables and varying volumes, passing along what felt like volumes of information in mere seconds. “No, slow down! Tell me what you... Door?” She opened her eyes and gasped. “Door! There!” She pointed to a shop wall. They could see it shimmering red and black, the strange coloration flowing across the ground as if the wall.

“Wait,” Rise said, “i-is that...?”

“No time, go!” Nanako grabbed her arm and pulled her toward it. The others followed suit, running toward the mysterious wall, diving into it...

...and falling onto the sidewalk amid human shouts, wailing sirens, and flashing lights against the night sky. Taro managed to tuck and roll upon impact, allowing him to recover his bearings quickly. The lights cut a harsh swath against the darkness, but he could make out figures in the street, running in their general direction. He turned up the street and saw a red glow, and heard the distinct wail of fire engines in the distance.

A pale hand appeared before him. “Let me help.” He looked up to see it connected to a familiar female form. It took a second for him to process the face in the dim light, but when he finally recognized it he took in a sharp breath.

He accepted the hand and let her pull him to his feet, surprised at her strength despite her delicate-looking frame. “Margaret? How are...what are you doing out here?”

Margaret said nothing, only watching him with a serious, grave countenance. She looked at the others, who were also just getting to their feet.

“Hey, it's you!” Teddie said. “I went in to find Sensei, but...he's gone.”

“That's why I'm here,” Margaret said.

“Oh God,” Rise said as she pushed herself to her feet. “It happened again, didn't it? Because of us, right?”

“No,” Yukiko said. “Whatever happened, it's the Shadow's fault. It's...working for Loki, isn't it?”

“Yeah,” Nanako said absently as she started northward. “It took Big Bro's body, and left him all alone. Scared, cold...”

“Wait, Nanako-chan. Where you going?” Yosuke said, grabbing her shoulder.

“I have to see,” was all she said as she pulled away from him. She didn't get far before the others started behind. Margaret, however, stayed put.

Taro approached her. “Why are you here?  _ How _ are you here?”

“I chose to leave the Velvet Room. You need my assistance.”

“You weren't even willing to help me without money before. Why now, all of a sudden?”

Margaret closed her eyes. “The situation – is different now. It requires my intervention.” She started walking in the same direction as the others.

“Wait,” Taro said, catching up with her. “What about all that, 'we can't interfere in mortal affairs' stuff?”

“We – each interpret our commandments in our own way. This is no longer a mortal affair. Please stop asking questions. There is little more I can tell you.”

Taro stared at her for a long moment before running to catch up with the group.

Nanako stopped at the bulletin board outside Aiya, staring at the ruin that, minutes before, had been Tatsuhime Shrine. The hedges lining the south end were completely burned away, exposing what was left even at the angle from which she was standing.

There was practically nothing left of the Shrine itself. It had never been brightly lit at night, but now seemed eerily dead even in the spotlights of the fire trucks. All that was left of the humble torii and honden were a few misshapen boards and chunks of blackened ashes. The entrance archway was gone, and there were flames coming from the corner of the textile shop, the firefighters only just starting to blast it with their hoses.

Nanako found herself staring not at the Shrine nor the textile shop, but the bodies lying in various spots around the area, some being dragged away to a safer distance while others were tended on the spot by police or firefighters. She felt each of their minds, in a half-conscious state of confusion and disconnect. She wondered if it was the same for everyone who had been affected by the battles in the Shadow World. It gave her a chill to think that, only a few days ago, the same could have been her. The wisps of memories she'd felt from Chie, the emptiness and confusion and disconnect from anything and everything she'd known as her mind was torn from her and spread across the Shadow World made her glad she'd been freed from the Memflies before anything like that could have happened to her.

_ But Souji wasn't affected by Memflies, and the same thing happened to him, _ she thought.  _ His Shadow did it to him. Maybe it was the Shadow every time, or even Loki himself. The Shadow said the Memflies belonged to Loki, right? _

“God dammit!” They could just barely hear the shout over the idling truck engines, the shouting, and the rush of the fire hoses expelling their water. The man was further up the street, almost directly across from the burning building. The man was struggling against another one trying to hold him back.

“Kanji-kun?” Teddie said, his normally ebullient tone gone. “Oh yeah, he lives there, huh?”

Yukiko looked over at the building. “This is all from my Agi spell. I hurt all these people. I – I can't believe I wasn't...”

“You didn't know,” Rise said. “You – you were trying to...” she broke off, unable to complete the platitude. Nobody else volunteered to fill that void.

Chie glanced back to Kanji, and noticed another figure standing with him. It seemed to be hugging him, though she couldn't really tell at this distance. But it looked so familiar to her... “Hey, isn't that Naoto-kun with him over there?”

“Naoto-kun?” Yosuke said. “What's she doing here?”

“I got a pretty good idea,” Chie said. She started toward them, but a uniformed police officer stepped in her path and held up his arms. “Ex _ cuse _ me!” she said.

“Ma'am, I need you to stay back.”

Chie pulled her ID from her pocket and showed it to him. “I'm a cop.”

The officer examined her ID photo, and then her face. “Officer Satonaka, huh? You off-duty or something?” He lowered his arms.

“Not anymore,” she said, tucking the ID in her waistband, badge out. “I'm working with Detective Shirogane over there. These people,” she gestured to the rest of the group, pausing only for a second when she saw Taro and Margaret standing together, “um...they're with me.”

The officer looked at the others, and then back to Chie. “Okay, but keep them out of the way, all right? This things a big mess. EMTs are on the way for the casualties.”

For the first time, the rest of the team noticed the bodies lying on the ground. “Oh no...what can I do to help?”

“Sargent Matsumoto's in charge. Talk to him.” The officer pointed toward an officer shouting into a phone as he stepped out of her way.

Instead of heading for the officer in charge, though, Chie continued on toward Naoto, followed closely by everyone but Taro and Margaret. The two of them stayed behind, almost transfixed by the Shrine.

“It would seem your actions in the other world...”

“Affect things here,” Taro said. “Yeah, I figured that out.”

Margaret raised an eyebrow. “I was going to say that your actions there seem to be sent here somehow. That fire may be of this world, but its origins are not.”

Taro turned to her. “How do you know that?”

“The destruction in that place, the 'Shrine' you call it, smells not of human power but of a god's. The other world is only connected by the will of those powerful enough to cross worlds. Only those with that power can send things, even destructive power, across that void. Humans with the gift of Persona powers, and gods.”

“So Loki did this all,” Taro said.

“I – suppose it is so,” Margaret said. “Loki is the one behind all of this, correct?”

“That's what we think.”

As the rest of the group approached Kanji and Naoto, Naoto had started leading him down the street, her arm draped over his hunched shoulders. As the two neared them, they could just barely hear Kanji's voice: “...happening around here? Is someone out to get me or something?”

“I...I don't know, Kanji-kun,” Naoto said. “But it will be all right. I'll help you...”

“Naoto-kun!” Naoto and Kanji both looked up and stopped walking.

“Huh?” Kanji said.

“Rise-chan?” Naoto asked, looking over them all. “Everyone, what...?” A hard slap to the face interrupted her and sent her reeling.

“Hey!” Kanji said, grabbing Rise's hand with his non-bandaged arm.

“How  _ dare _ you!” Rise said, struggling in Kanji's grip, stabbing a finger in the air toward Naoto. “Let go of me, dammit! This is all her fault!”

“Hey, hey!” Chie said, tearing Rise away from Kanji and stepping between them. “What the hell was that?”

Kanji rushed over to Naoto, who was trying her best to retain her dignity as she pushed herself up off the ground. She allowed him to help her up, but stood straight and still as she saw the entire team staring at her. She didn't need master detective skills to know she'd missed something important. Whatever it was, it was probably behind the fire.

Kanji glanced down at Chie's waist when he saw something glint in the streetlight. “Hey, that a badge? You a cop?”

“Yeah,” Chie said.

“Good, I wanna press charges! That crazy bitch just hit a detective...”

“I'll handle this, Kanji-kun” Chie interrupted, and then turned back to Rise, who was staring daggers at Naoto.

“Wh-what? Hey, hold on, aren't you that lady from earlier?”

“Will one of you please tell me what's going on?” Naoto said. “Is this – did you return to the Shadow World?” She scanned the group, and saw one glaring absence. “Where's Souji-kun?”

“You...!” Rise started toward Naoto again, but Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko all held her back. “We called you! More than once. Why didn't you answer?”

“I – I thought you were calling to, uh, yell at me again,” Naoto said. She looked at each of them, seeing a range of emotions from rage to disgust to utter confusion. Except for Nanako, who almost seemed to be staring at her blankly as if waiting for something to happen... “I was helping Kanji-kun...”

“Well, thanks to you Souji's...he's...” Rise started, her struggles dying down.

“Souji's gone,” Yukiko said. “He went back in to face his Shadow alone. He...they went to fight Loki together and...and he's...gone.”

“We tried to call you,” Chie said, her voice the calmest of the group.

“What?” Naoto said. She put her hands to her mouth. This wasn't part of the plan at all. “Gone? As in...?”

“Gone,” Nanako said. “Torn apart, and now his Shadow controls his body and his powers.” Nanako, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, read a mixture of feelings from the detective. Surprise was in there, but also...disgust. But it didn't seem like it was for herself, or her neglectfulness in dismissing their attempts to reach her. Why did it seem like Naoto was hiding something?

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “He and his Shadow – they merged into this...thing, and it went to fight Loki. Then it came back and tried to kill us. We just barely made it back to the real world before the Memflies got us.”

Naoto shook her head. “I – I'm so sorry...I didn't know...”

“Wait, what the hell're you all talking about?” Kanji said, rushing to Naoto's side. “What the hell is wrong with you? My goddamn home is burning to the ground right now and all you can talk about is some kinda crazy shit! Get the hell outta my face! And Naoto-san's too!”

“Kanji-kun,” Yukiko said. “I'm sorry...we didn't...I didn't...”

“To hell with you,” Kanji said, taking Naoto's hand. She turned to him in surprise. “C'mon, Naoto-san. Let's get the hell outta here.”

After a quick glance back to the group she nodded, and they continued together down the street, giving the Investigation Team a wide berth. The crowd control officers let them past, and the pushed their way through the crowd of rubberneckers and vanished.

“Damn her,” Rise said.

“Senpai, I don't think she knew,” Nanako said. “She's not lying...about that.” She said the last words at barely a whisper.

She turned back when she felt Taro approaching. She saw Margaret with him, though for the first time she realized she didn't feel anything concrete from this strange woman. There was a presence, a sense of raw power, but... “Guys,” Taro said, “there's nothing we can do here. We should get out of the way...”

“Nanako!” They turned to see Ryotaro running toward them. “What the hell are you all doing here?”

“Um...well, we, uh...” Yosuke said.

Ryotaro glanced at Taro for a moment, the distaste on his face quite palpable. “Did you find Souji?”

“Did we find...?” Chie said. “You mean you knew he was gone?”

“You didn't tell them?” he said to Nanako.

“No time,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, I know he went into the TV,” Ryotaro said. “He went after his Shadow, alone.”

Yosuke shook his head. “I think I got lost here. You mean you know everything? About his Shadow and stuff?”

“I know enough,” Ryotaro said. “So where is he?”

“He's...gone,” Yukiko said.

“What do you mean gone?”

“He chose to fight Loki by himself,” Taro said. “He and his Shadow joined and...his Shadow took over, we think.” He gestured to the remains of the Shrine. “It did all that. We barely made it out.”

Ryotaro closed his eyes and hung his head, rubbing his forehead. “You all shouldn't be here right now. Nanako, take them back to our house please. I can't spare any cars at the moment.”

“Back to your house?” Yosuke said. “Why?”

“Because we need to talk, and...” Ryotaro glanced to the side, “if Souji's really gone, you all need to be together in one place. Safe. That's the only place that's really safe for you right now.”

“Dad? What're you talking about?”

“I don't have time to explain,” Ryotaro said, glancing to the same side again. “Just go there and stay there, please. I'll meet you as soon as I can.” He looked at Margaret. “You, though. You with them?”

“That's correct.”

“And – who are you?

“My name is Margaret.”

“She helped us,” Taro said. “She's part of the team.”

The others gave Taro a surprised look, but he nodded. Nanako said, “Um, yeah. If Taro-san says she's with us, then she is. Right guys?”

“Yeah,” Teddie said. “She's the dream lady that helped Sensei all those times.”

Ryotaro examined his daughter. Hearing her take Namatame's side seemed so surreal to him, and more than a little disturbing given what he did to her years before. Still, Chisato confirmed it with a confident nod when he glanced at her. He turned to Margaret. "All right, then you go with them. But first, I need a word with  _ you _ ." He pulled Taro aside, toward one of the parked police cars. For a second Taro was worried the policeman was going to throw him into the car and think of something for which he could be arrested, but there was no manhandling. Ryotaro leaned close to him and said, “I know Nanako seems to trust you, and I know you helped bring her back to normal, and for that I'm grateful. But I swear to you, if you do anything to hurt my daughter again, or if you even look at her the wrong way, I will cut your balls off and then put you in a hole so deep you'll have to set them on fire to see anything close to daylight. Am I clear?”

_ Wonder how long he's been waiting to say  _ that  _ to me _ , Taro thought.  _ Years, probably. _ He nodded. "Perfectly, sir."

“Try not to be so hard on him,” Chisato whispered in Ryotaro's ear. “It's not  _ all _ his fault, and he's already paid a dear price for the things that  _ were _ .”

Ryotaro hesitated, his frown deepening a little. “Then go with them, and...stay safe. You're...important, too.”

Taro endured the Lieutenant's stare a moment longer before turning away and returning to the group. He was just in time to hear Yosuke say, “I don't know. I really just wanna go sleep in my own bed. I wanna go pretend this was all a dream for a little while before I gotta face it again.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” Yukiko said.

“I'm going,” Rise said. “I don't want to be alone tonight, anyway.”

“As am I,” Taro said. “We need to stick together.”

“'Stick together'?” Margaret said. “Ah, that's a metaphor, is it not?”

“Uh, something like that,” Taro said.

“Oh, yeah – who're you again?” Chie said. “I mean, I get that you're helping us, and that you apparently know Namatame-san from somewhere. No offense, but you're not too normal, are you?”

“None taken,” Margaret said. “To be fair, you are all somewhat 'not too normal' to me as well.”

“Well,  _ I _ say a stranger is a friend you haven't met yet,” Teddie said. He took Margaret's hand and shook it vigorously. “Pleased to meetcha again, Margaret-san! I'm Teddie. This is Chie-chan, Yuki-chan, Rise-chan, and Nana-chan. Oh, and Yosuke-kun, too.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Margaret said. “If only it were under better circumstances.”

“Well, if we're all going to Nanako-chan's place, we should probably get going,” Yukiko said. She turned to Yosuke. “You coming?”

“Yes he is,” Chie said, taking his hand. “I am, too. Namatame-san's right. We gotta stick together if we're gonna save Souji. And everyone else, too.”

Yosuke sighed. “Yeah, all right. But what did he mean about it being the only safe place? 'Cause it's a cop's house?”

“Maybe he meant it's like safety in numbers,” Chie said. “That's one of the things they drill into us in the academy about going into dangerous spots.”

“Can we talk on the way?” Rise said, breaking her silence. “I really need to sit down.”

Ryotaro watched them skulk away, disappearing into the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle, and felt a chilly stream of sweat run down his back. “I know this worries you,” Chisato said, “but I need you to please trust me. All of them are invaluable to the human race. Especially if – if Souji is indeed lost.”

“Lost,” Ryotaro said, shaking his head. “Because of me.”

“No, because of the choice he made. He chose to trust someone, a part of himself, that betrayed him. You did what you could. If anyone's to blame it's me. I held you back, kept you from telling them what you wanted to. But what's happened had to happen, and there was nothing we could have done to change it.”

“So was it selfishness on his part?” Ryotaro asked. “Did he really go in there because he felt guilty?”

Chisato shook her head. “I'm not a mind reader. Everything we do, we do for more than one reason. Did he feel guilty? Probably. But I think he was also afraid of getting people hurt again. Nanako, his friends, even strangers who might get hurt on this side by the fighting on that side.”

“We're seeing no end to that,” Ryotaro said, glancing at the now-smoldering mess of the textile shop. “I can't believe they managed to blow up a Shrine of all things. How are people not supposed to take that as some kind of sign?”

“People believe what they want,” Chisato said. “You know that. But I can say that things always get worse before they get better. Not too long ago, all humanity's hope rested on Souji's shoulders alone. Now, it's on all theirs. As long as one of them continues on, there's still hope for humanity.”

“And why couldn't I join them again?”

“It's not your...”

“Destiny, I know.” He shook his head. “I just can't shake the feeling I'm some bit player in someone else's story, kind of like a...”

“Lieutenant? You talking to me?”

Ryotaro snapped his gaze to Matsumoto, who had approached him to the left. He glanced back to his right, but Chisato was gone.

“Everything okay, sir?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryotaro said. “How we looking?”

Matsumoto shook his head. “Just like yesterday. A lot of people unconscious, no serious injuries, and a lot of property damage. What the hell's going on here?”

Ryotaro sighed. “I'd like to know that myself.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they had left the Shopping District, the streets were practically empty. There were a few cars speeding down the street every now and then, not stopping for any lights or road signs.

“People're scared,” Nanako said. “This must've been the last straw. A lot of them are leaving town.”

“Well with all the weird stuff that's been happening it's not really a surprise,” Yosuke said. “Right now I'd kinda like to go with them.”

“I wonder if their Memflies will follow them,” Yukiko said. “Everything seems to center on Inaba, but what happens when they get far enough away?”

“Who knows?” Chie said. “Right now I'm not really sure I care.”

“Chie,” Yukiko said, “you can't mean that.”

“Why not?” Yosuke said. “Last time we had time to rest up, recharge our batteries between battles. Now it's like one thing hitting right after another. Kinda hard to keep up hope when you don't even get a chance to sit down and think through everything.”

“But why do you gotta think through it?” Teddie said. He had popped off his “suit” head and was carrying it under his arm, the ruffles of his garish white shirt fluttering in the evening breeze. “I mean, we know what we have to do, so we just go do it, right? Thinking too much just makes you all tired and depressed inside.”

Taro laughed out loud. “Wish it were that easy.”

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “Listen, uh...I know we probably don't wanna talk about this, but...with Souji-kun gone, who's gonna be our leader?”

“You volunteering?” Yukiko said.

“No,” Yosuke said. “I'm more the advisor type, you know?”

“Well,” Chie said, “Somebody's gotta take his place...”

“Stop talking about him like he's dead,” Nanako said flatly. “'Cause he's not. He's still there in the Shadow World, and we're gonna find a way to bring him back.”

“Nanako-chan,” Yukiko said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “we didn't mean...”

“I know,” Nanako said. “I just – it'd be so easy just to get all depressed and give up on him, but I'm not gonna. He didn't give up on us. Ever.”

They continued the rest of the way in silence, the proposal to select a new “leader” dying on the vine. Upon reaching the Dojima house and stepping through the door, they surveyed the disaster area inside. “Place still looks like a bomb went off,” Nanako said.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “I was kind of an ass, huh?”

“Kind of?” Nanako said. “Sorry, just kidding.” She glanced at the dried up sauce spread across thee kitchen, remembering how good it had tasted when it was fresh.  _ What did they call it again? _ She started rummaging through the closet by the front door. “We've got some extra blankets and pillows somewhere. Won't be much, but they'll be more comfortable than sleeping on the floor.”

“So it's gonna be a sleepover?” Teddie said. “I've heard of those. Are we gonna get to have any fun? Like, painting each other's nails and telling ghost stories?”

“Teddie...” Yosuke started.

“I think everyone's too tired,” Yukiko said. “Though we could all probably use the distraction.”

“Floor's fine with me,” Chie said, groaning and rubbing her eyes. “I could sleep on a cactus right now.”

“Like when Yosuke hasn't shaved in a couple days?” Yukiko said. She immediately snorted and started laughing.

Chie didn't find the joke particularly funny, but found herself smiling nonetheless. She started laughing, just a little.

“Oh ha ha, very funny you two,” Yosuke said.

“Huh,” Nanako said. “So he's Cactus Yosuke, huh? Got a ring to it.” She tried to suppress a laugh.

Yukiko started laughing harder. “'Cactus Yosuke'...”

Teddie joined in once Yukiko said that, and Taro even chuckled a little, but that was the end of it. Rise was staring off into the distance, while Margaret seemed to be studying them all in their mirth.

Teddie stopped laughing. “So, why was that funny?”

“Well, because Yosuke-senpai...” Nanako started.

“Ah ah ah ah ah,” Yosuke said. “It's okay, we don't need to hear it. Anyway, what if your dad comes back soon? Didn't he want to talk to us? I sure have a few questions for  _ him _ .”

“I could probably sleep through one of his lectures right now,” Chie said. “And that sure isn't easy to do.” She cast a glance at Nanako. “Uh, sorry, Nanako-chan.”

“No, you're totally right on that one,” Nanako said, laughing a little. “Anyway, there're some more blankets upstairs. Rise-chan, why don't you come help me with them? Everyone else, um....” She examined the kitchen and living room, the mess almost completely unchanged from how they'd left it after Souji and Yosuke's fight.

“We'll clean it up,” Yukiko said. “Right, Chie? Yosuke?”

“Y-yeah,” Chie said, yawning. “It's our mess anyway, isn't it?”

“I guess,” Yosuke said.

“I'll help!” Teddie said, excitedly.

“So shall I,” Margaret said.

“And I'll supervise,” Taro said. When he saw the dirty looks cast in his direction, he added, “Just kidding! Where you keep your mop?”

As the six set to work on the downstairs, Nanako and Rise headed toward the stairs. Nanako just barely avoided stepping on the pepper spray can that, earlier, Naoto had forced her to give up at gunpoint. She picked it up and set it on the table by the stairwell. The two then continued upstairs, the steps creaking just a little under the lightweight girls' feet. “How you holding up?” Nanako said.

“Okay,” Rise said.

“You know I don't believe you, right?”

“Yeah,” Rise sighed. “I don't know if I should be scared, angry, sad...throwing a temper tantrum or crying or screaming. I'm just...stuck somewhere in the middle. Lost.”

Nanako opened the hall closet and pulled out a couple pillows, handing them to her. “Yeah, I know. I - I mean, I know what you mean.”

“He really thought he was helping us by running away.” She tucked the pillows under one arm and accepted a third from Nanako. “Does he really love me? I mean, in love with me? 'Cause right now....I think the only thing keeping me from going crazy is hoping he does.”

“Would you believe me if I told you he does?” Nanako said, hefting a pair of rolled up blankets onto her shoulders.

“I'd want to,” Rise said.

“Then that's all that matters,” Nanako said. “When we get him back, you two can work out the details.”

Rise raised an eyebrow. “Wait, are you saying...?”

“Worry about what you want, not what you think he wants,” Nanako interrupted. “Don't be passive about it, just go for it.”

“How old are you again?”

“Not old enough,” Nanako said. “Apparently.” She laughed, and Rise finally joined in. “Seriously, though, I don't think you have anything to worry about.”

“But what about Yukiko? After what his Shadow said...”

“His Shadow was full of shit,” Nanako said. “We can't believe anything it said. Trust me, I know my Big Bro.” She sighed. “Well, mostly. But I'm sure about this. You let him know, and I promise he'll be there for you.”

Rise smiled, but the smile quickly faded. “If we get him back.”

“ _ When _ we get him back,” Nanako insisted. “He's  _ not _ dead. When we were in the TV World, running away from that...thing, I felt him. The  _ real _ him. He was talking to me, and I think he's the one that opened that door for us.”

“R-really?” Rise said, gasping. She almost dropped the pillows. “You're sure?”

Nanako nodded. “All we gotta do is beat up his Shadow, and we can get him back. I think.”

Rise laughed mirthlessly. “You were the one who told us to run away from it. What makes you think we can fight it?”

“That blond woman,” Nanako said. “Margaret, right? There's something about her...I don't know what it is, but I think with her helping us, we have a chance.”

“I hope so,” Rise said, taking a couple folded sheets under her other arm. “Next time we go in, I'm not leaving until we've got him back. I'll stay there and starve to death before I give up on him.”

Nanako smiled.  _ And that's one of the reasons why he likes you so much. _ “Me too,” she said. “This's all we got in this closet. I've got some more in mine, but let's drop these off downstairs.” They descended the stairs together, and immediately froze at the bottom. The kitchen and living room were immaculate, with all the furniture not only clean and in place but repaired, and all the dried, spilled stroganoff sauce gone. “Wha...how...?”

“Margaret,” Yukiko said. “I don't know where she came from, but she can sure clean. You don't need a job, do you? We could use somebody like you at the Inn.”

“Inn?” Margaret said. “Ah, a...place where people pay to sleep. A strange custom.”

“Uh...yeah,” Nanako said, an eyebrow raised. She could still only sense a kind of raw power from Margaret, and upon reflection she realized it was far more pure than that from anyone but Souji. Other than that she was practically impossible to read. Taro trusted her, and while Nanako was inclined to trust his judgment, it still made her uneasy.

As she was reflecting on Margaret she felt something else approaching the house, and turned toward the sliding glass door. “Hey, someone's out there.” As soon as she said that, there was a scratching at the glass. Everyone but Margaret jumped at the sound.

“Hold up,” Chie said. She ran to the front door and retrieved her gun from her boot. After checking it she clicked off the safety and held it at the ready. “Everyone back away from there.”

“You're not gonna open it, are you?” Rise said.

“We can't sit in here wondering what it is,” Chie said. “Whatever it is, we can handle it.” Yukiko pulled out her fan and Yosuke drew the knives from his belt. Everyone else, all of whom were unarmed, backed toward the kitchen.

Chie reached out to the door with her off hand, unlatched it, and pushed it open slowly. The darkness outside was all-enveloping, compared to the light from inside, and she could see nothing. She heard a whimpering from near the ground. She pointed her gun downward just in time to see an animal's face enter the light.

It was a fox, but as it slowly emerged from the darkness they could see a white scar crossing over its right eye, and a charred but still recognizable red bib at its throat. It was limping, and parts of its fur appeared to be singed or completely burned away.

“It's you!” Yukiko said, putting away her fan and rushing to the fox's side. It flinched, but she reached out and touched the side of its head. She could see that it was bloody in several places.

“Isn't that the fox from the Shrine?” Yosuke said. “The one that helped us out before?”

“Oh my God,” Rise said, stepping forward and kneeling down beside it. “Who did this to you?”

“It must have been the fire,” Chie said, lowering her gun and clicking the safety back into place.

“Well we gotta help her,” Rise said. “Nanako-chan, you have bandages and stuff?”

“Yeah, in the bathroom,” Nanako said. She rushed into the stairwell.

“Aww, look at you,” Teddie said. “You got all burned in the fire, didn't you?” The fox looked up at Teddie with a sad expression and barked weakly. “Worse? What do you mean?”

“Huh?” Yosuke said. “You can  _ understand _ it?”

“Uh, kinda,” Teddie said. “It just kinda seemed like what she  _ meant _ to say.”

Taro and Margaret watched from the kitchen. Taro started to step forward but Margaret placed a hand on his arm. “That is no ordinary animal.” Margaret said. “Use caution.”

“Of course she's not,” Yukiko said. “She came with us into the Shadow World before, years ago, and helped us keep our strength up on the days it seemed like we were there forever.”

“You're friends with a wild animal,” Taro said. “You guys just keep coming up with surprises.”

“Namatame-san, come over and say hello,” Chie said. “She's not dangerous. She's a sweetheart, actually.”

“ _ Expensive _ sweetheart, if I remember right,” Yosuke muttered.

Taro approached just as Nanako emerged from the bathroom with an armload of various bandages, swabs, and ointments. He reached out a hand toward the fox, but it flinched again. He held his hand in place, and eventually the fox approached it, sniffed it, and then rubbed its face on his hand. He felt a tingling in his hand as it did so, and then a strange surge of energy. “Wow,” he said.

“Yeah,” Yukiko said. “She really is something.” As a matter of fact, just having the fox in the house seemed to have improved everyone's mood a little, including her own.

Nanako dumped the items on the floor. She dabbed a swab in rubbing alcohol. “Okay, hold still. This is gonna sting...” The fox yelped as Nanako touched the swab onto one of its wounds. “We really should take her to an animal hospital or something.”

The fox raised its head, and for a moment it looked to her as if it were shaking it emphatically “no”. But that couldn't have been what she saw. Could it?

“She doesn't wanna go to the hospital,” Teddie said. “We're safe with her here.”

“I think you mean  _ she _ feels safe here,” Nanako said.

“Safe, huh,” Yosuke said. “So maybe this really is the safe place like your dad says.”

“I trust my dad,” Nanako said. “If he says its safe, then it is.” She reached toward the fox, who immediately licked her hand and then rested its face on her. “Wow, friendly.”

“Yeah,” Yukiko said. “Souji and I used to see her all the time at the Shrine.” After she realized what she'd just said, she sighed.

“Mm-hmm,” Rise said, biting her tongue.

“So, um, is she gonna stay here or something?” Yosuke said. “I mean, will your dad mind?”

“Hope not,” Nanako said. There was something about the fox, something that made it more than just an animal. More than a friendly, intelligent animal. Somehow, with the fox here, the team felt a little more complete. If only their core player weren't missing...

She needed to think. A nice hot shower was usually good for that. It was also good for washing off two days' worth of old sweat. “Hey, I'll be back in a few.”

“Where you going?” Yosuke said.

“Girl stuff,” Nanako said, heading upstairs and into her bedroom. She gathered a change of clothes and a fresh towel from the hall closet, and crept downstairs into the bathroom.

A moment later they heard the running water, and a long, drawn-out sigh from the bathroom's closed door. Yosuke smirked audibly. “Girl stuff, huh?”

“Best therapy in the world's a hot shower,” Chie said.

There was a knock at the front door. Everyone but Yukiko and Rise shot to their feet, Chie bringing her gun to the ready again. She moved quickly toward the door, Yosuke behind her with his knives in hand.

“Is that some strange ritual for greeting people?” Margaret said. “Arming yourself and creeping toward the door?”

Taro turned to her, hoping to see at least a little sarcasm in her face but finding only genuine curiosity. For someone who supposedly had an eternal responsibility over the greatest powers a mortal could wield, she seemed rather clueless about mortals themselves.

There was another knock just as Chie reached the door. She pulled it open to reveal Naoto standing there, her eyes open with sudden surprise. “Chie-chan? What are you doing...oh...” She glanced past Chie to see the others inside. “I, uh, didn't expect that everyone would be here.”

Chie safetied her weapon and Yosuke sheathed his knives. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, and Naoto continued, “Lieutenant Dojima sent us.”

“Us?” Yosuke said. He then noticed Kanji standing behind Naoto, hands firmly shoved into his pockets.

“He said it was vitally urgent we come here,” Naoto said, “and offered Kanji-kun a place to stay so he wouldn't have to pay for a motel.”

“Yeah, right now I'm thinking this wasn't a good idea,” Kanji said.

Naoto took his hand and said, her voice low, “Don't worry, I promise they're good people. I may have – made some mistakes, but they – they're friends of mine.”

“Well don't mind me if I don't bother trusting them,” Kanji said.

“I understand,” Naoto said. Turning back to Chie, she said, “So, are you going to let us in? Or just shoot us?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chie said, stepping aside. “Sorry.”

Yukiko rose to her feet as they entered, but Rise stayed on the floor, continuing to dress the fox's wounds. After she'd had time to cool down she felt shame for her actions back at the Shopping District, but she still had little desire to interact with Naoto. Of everyone, she still felt Naoto deserved most of the blame for what happened to Souji.

“Everyone, I – wouldn't have had things happen this way,” Naoto said. “I let you all down, and for that I'm truly sorry.”

“Hey, no worries,” Yosuke said, placing a hand on her shoulder, but pulling it away when Kanji gave him a dirty look. “You, uh, didn't know what was going on. We know you weren't intentionally blowing us off. Right?”

“Yeah, of course,” Chie said.

“Yes,” Yukiko said.

“Nao-chan would never do something like that!” Teddie added.

Rise remained silent, aside from loudly tearing a piece of cloth medical tape.

Naoto's eyes were drawn to the sound. “Is that...the fox? What happened to her?”

Yukiko lowered her eyes to the floor. “The fire,” she said. “She – she must've been caught in it.”

The fox whined and looked up at Yukiko, who couldn't bring herself to look back down at it.

“So what exactly happened?” Naoto asked. “Chie-chan?”

Chie shrugged. “It's a long story. I don't have the energy to tell it, though.” She looked at the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor longingly. She so desperately wanted to sleep, to put this day behind her.

“Yeah, no offense, Naoto-kun, but I think we need to call it a night,” Yosuke said. “This day's been all kinds of messed up.”

The bathroom door opened and out stepped Nanako, dressed in her clean clothes but still drying her hair with the towel. “Oh, Naoto-senpai!” Nanako said. “Kanji-senpai! You just get here?”

“Yes,” Naoto said. “And I can see the house is in better shape than when I last saw it.”

“Hey, I clean up my messes,” Yosuke said. “Tell ya what, why don't we all have a seat and just, you know, chill? I mean, last time didn't go so well.”

Naoto nodded. “Yes, I think we should sit.”

“Wait,” Kanji said. “After what they did to you you're just gonna hang out?”

“Kanji-kun, they're my friends.  _ Our _ friends, even though you can't remember them. It's been a very stressful day for all. You, in particular.” She touched a hand to his cheek but he pulled away. “Sorry,” she said. “Please, just try. Everything will be all right, I promise.”

While she could still see the worry in his eyes, worry for his future and the future of his family business, he nodded. “Fine. They go any sake here?”

“Uh, there's beer in the fridge, but Dad hides the sake. Probably afraid I'll drink it or something.” Nanako tossed the towel into the bathroom and started tying up her hair into a ponytail. “Like I'd wanna get all drunk after seeing what it does to him.”

While Kanji searched the refrigerator, Naoto approached Margaret. “I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. Naoto Shirogane.” She bowed her head.

“I am Margaret.” Margaret stood straight, her eyes focused hard on Naoto.

Naoto noticed for the first time that her eyes were yellow.  _ Like a Shadow's. _ “I...see,” she said. “And you're a...Persona-user too, I gather? If you're hanging around with this group, I mean.”

“After a fashion, yes,” Margaret said.

Naoto gazed into the woman's yellow eyes, but found little she could read aside from what she could only suppose was a cold suspicion. “Well, I'm glad to have your help. We'll need it I'm sure.” She stepped away toward the kitchen, suddenly very uncomfortable under the woman's watchful eye.  _ She is Souji's _ , she thought.  _ Be careful. She may try to save him from you. _

Yukiko and Rise continued tending to the fox. “I think she needs real help,” Yukiko said “We need to get her to a vet.”

“But Dojima-san said to stay here,” Rise said.

“We'll just go drop her off and come right back. Chie, can I borrow your car?”

“What?” Chie asked. “You don't have a license.”

“I've practiced, just never took the test,” Yukiko said. She held her hand out. “C'mon, it'll be okay.”

“No way,” Chie said. “Just 'cause I'm not in uniform doesn't mean I'm not still a cop.  _ I'm _ driving.”

“You were practically passing out five minutes ago,” Yukiko said.

Chie put her hands at her waist. “I'm not gonna be party to an unlicensed op violation.”

“Okay, fine.” Yukiko reached down to pick up the fox but it immediately sprang up and ran behind Rise. “Hey, it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm gonna take you to a doctor, who'll make you feel better.” She tried to walk around Rise to the fox, but the fox backed away again, using Rise as a shield. The fox barked sharply.

“Um, I don't think she wants to go,” Rise said.

“It's for her own good.” Yukiko reached down, and the fox snapped out, biting her hand. Yukiko shrieked and jumped back. Rise shot to her feet in surprise, but the fox tilted her head and wimpered again. She looked sorrowfully at Yukiko, but then slowly moved toward Rise. Rise felt her hair stand on end, but the fox only slipped between her legs and lay down on her feet.

“I – I can't believe she just bit me,” Yukiko said, looking down at her hand. Her skin was scraped a little, but the animal's teeth didn't seem to have punctured it. In fact, as she watched, the scrapes actually started to vanish.

“She's scared,” Teddie said. “She's scared they're gonna go after her babies, too.”

“Huh? They who?” Chie said. “And her babies?”

“I don't know,” Teddie said. “I don't think she wanted me to know about that.”

“No offense, buddy, but I think you're hallucinating,” Yosuke said.

“It's okay,” Rise said, stepping over the fox and sitting next to her. She placed a gentle hand on an uninjured spot on the fox's chest and felt the animal quiver under her touch. “Shh, shh...you don't have to go if you don't want to. But I don't know how much we can help you here.” The fox looked up at her, its eyes appearing to be thankful, and then lay its head on the floor. In a moment its eyes were closed and it appeared to have settled off to sleep.

“You okay, Yukiko?” Chie said.

“Yeah, fine,” Yukiko said. The scrapes were completely gone. She closed and opened her hand, and there was no residual pain. “Why would she be afraid of going to the vet?”

“I don't know,” Rise said. “I mean, she's not just some ordinary fox, it's almost like she's a person in there, you know? She must know something we don't.”

Taro and Nanako both knelt down beside the fox. “What's so special about this fox? I've heard about a fox at Tatsuhime once or twice, but I never really saw it.” He absently touched the spot tatooed in the middle of his forehead, and then stroked his fingers through the graying hair at his temples. “Don't really go to the Shrines myself. I just figured it had a nest there or something.”

“A den,” Nanako said. “It's called a den.”

Taro chuckled. “Fine, a den.”

“She came with us into the Shadow World,” Naoto said. “She always had these leaves, or herbs or something, that – I'm not sure what they did, exactly, but they just seemed to clear my head when she used them. Made calling my Persona a lot easier.”

“We just figured she was, you know,  _ holy _ or something,” Yosuke said. “I mean sounds kinda crazy, but, well, there it is.”

Taro nodded. “She's special, then, and we owe it to her to take care of her.”

“W-wait, you guys can't be serious, right?” Kanji said, swallowing a mouthful of beer. “Shadow World, Personas – what the hell's all that?”

Naoto immediately stood. “A long story,” she said.

“There's been a lot of those lately,” Yukiko said.

“Listen,” Naoto continued, “we've all had a very long and difficult day. If we're all going to be staying here, for a reason I still don't understand myself, then we should at least decide on sleeping arrangements.” She turned to Chie. “No offense, but you look like you could collapse at any moment.”

“I'm fine,” Chie said.

“Okay, how about this,” Nanako said. “Girls in my room, guys in Souji's...um...I mean, guys downstairs.”

“No,” Chie said, drawing closer to Yosuke, who slid his arm around her lower back. “I'm with Yosuke. I'll stay down here with the guys.”

“Why are you all staying here again?” Kanji said. “That police guy said it was so you'd be safe? What the hell's so safe here instead of anywhere else? Why can't you all just go back to your own homes? Those of you that still have 'em.”

“Uh, um...long story,” Nanako said.

“Great,” Kanji said, taking another swig of his beer. “If I had a yen every time I heard that tonight...”

“Okay,” Yukiko said, “so girls in Nanako's room, except for Chie, who'll stay down here with Yosuke.”

“Yeah!” Teddie said, scooping up one of the makeshift bed sets and rushing toward the stairs.

“Hold on, where do you think you're going?” Yosuke said, grabbing his arm as he tried to run past.

“Upstairs, of course!” Teddie said. “Gonna have all the girls to myself!”

“Uh, yeah. No, that ain't happening,” Yosuke said. “You're staying down here.”

Teddie sighed and dropped the blanket and pillow. “Awww....” He skulked toward the living room table and sat down, crossing his arms with a “Humph!”

Kanji shook his head. “You're all a bunch of weirdos, ya know that?”

“Yeah,” Rise said, chuckling a little. “I guess we kinda are.”

Naoto was relieved that, at least for the most part, the fighting was behind them now. She could work on mending things with her friends who, despite her long absence, she realized she had missed dearly.  _ Maybe now that Souji's gone, all can be right with...  _ As she had that thought she was struck with a strange odor. She took in a deep breath and almost immediately recognized it: roasting peanuts.  _ No, not again. _ She'd never had two migraines so quickly one after the other. She felt in her jacket pocket, and realized that her pill case was gone.  _ Dammit. _ She checked all her pockets, but aside from her weapon and wallet, everything else was gone. She'd probably lost it in the Shadow World somewhere. She glanced at the clock. It was past ten, after which Inaba was usually quite dead. She wondered if there was a 24-hour pharmacy. If not, this was going to be a very long night.

Margaret knelt down at the fox and placed her hand on its back. Rise looked at her. “You've been kinda quiet since we got here. So, um – who are you exactly?”

“She's the woman in my dream,” Teddie said.

“Your dream?” Yukiko said.

“The Velvet Room,” Taro said. “That's something that'll take even longer to explain.”

“Okay, that's it,” Kanji said, slamming his bottle down on the counter. “Thanks for the beer, but I'm outta here.”

“Kanji!” Naoto said, trying to step between him and the door.

“I'm not getting mixed up in some weird cult thing,” Kanji said. “I'll go sleep in the park or something.”

“Kanji-kun, wait!” Yukiko said, running up to him. “Do you remember being kidnapped?”

Kanji stepped back, almost knocking over the small table by the front door. “W-what?”

“Seven years ago,” Yukiko said, “someone showed up at your door and knocked you out.” She caught herself glancing back at Taro, who quickly turned away. “But you don't remember any of what happened until you came back, and even that's all fuzzy. Isn't it?”

“How the – who...Togashi-san, how do you know about that? I...I never told anyone!”

“Well I know what happened. We all do, because we resc-mmph!” She stopped abruptly when Naoto slapped her hand over her mouth.

“No,” Naoto said, wincing as the first twinge of her headache struck. She turned to Kanji. “It's all a metaphorical – I mean, spiritual thing. Yuk...Togashi-san is a very dedicated Shrine-goer. She means that the details weren't important, but after that your life turned around. You went back to school, which is where we all met. You and I...”

“You know what, enough,” Kanji said. He stormed out the door.

Yukiko pushed Naoto away. “What the hell was that?”

“What the hell, Naoto-kun?” Yosuke said, “She might've made him remember everything. Why'd you stop her?”

“Have you stopped to think that – that things have changed? That maybe that kind of thing won't work on him, like it did on you?” Naoto said. She started toward the door. “Kanji, wait!”

“What?” Yukiko shouted after her. “What are you talking about? We're not supposed to even try?”

“Please wait!” Naoto said, noticing that the pain in her head started to clear the moment she stepped outside.

Kanji stopped. “Naoto-san, look, those friends of yours are just plan weird. You're starting to sound like them, too. I don't wanna get initiated into some cult or something.”

“It's not like that,” Naoto said.

“And what the hell was Togashi-san talking about, me being kidnapped? I never told anyone that. Not even my mom.”

“She was kidnapped as well,” Naoto said. “A few weeks before you were. When – when they caught the kidnapper, she found out that he'd done the same thing to you too.”

“Whoa...wait a minute,” Kanji said. “That guy. The one with the dot on his head. Whatsisname. He was the one, wasn't he? He was on TV back then, went to jail for kidnapping a cop's daughter, right?”

“It, uh, wasn't him,” Naoto said. “He was framed.”

Kanji tilted his head. “What're you playin' at?”

“They're good people, really,” Naoto said. “You know Yuk...Togashi-san. And...um...the blonde woman, the younger one...that's Rise Kujikawa.”

“Rise – that's Risette? Uh uh, no way. I've seen Risette on TV, and that ain't her. First of all, she wouldn't have stupid-looking hair like that.”

Naoto waved her hands. “The point is, it's not what you think. They're...” She stopped when a pair of headlights flashed past them, and they saw they were connected to the car that had just pulled into the carport attached to the house.

Ryotaro stepped out of the car a few seconds later. “What are you two doing?” he said.

“Dojima-san,” Naoto said. “We were just...”

“I was just leaving,” Kanji said. “Sir, I appreciate the offer, but, uh, I didn't think it was gonna be such a full house. I think I'm gonna find somewhere else to stay.”

Before Naoto could protest further, Ryotaro said, “All right, if that's what you need to do. Let me help.” He pulled out his wallet and fished through it. “Here,” he said, handing Kanji a few bills and his business card. “The b-and-b just down the street is pretty good. Show them my card; they owe me a favor .”

“Um – okay,” Kanji said. “Uh, thanks.”

“Sir, what...?” Naoto started.

“If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to call,” Ryotaro said. “I'll give you a lift if you need.”

“Why are you helping me?” Kanji said, crossing his arms. “Both of you come out of nowhere, you working in my shop for free, and you offer to let me stay in your house. What gives?”

“You don't have to accept,” Ryotaro said. “But you did say you couldn't afford a motel. It's my job to help people.”

Kanji looked down at the money in his hand. “Fine, thanks. I – appreciate the help, sir. I'd like to walk it, though. Got a lot to think about.”

“All right. Shirogane-san, let's go. We need to talk.”

As Kanji left, Naoto said, “Lieutenant, I thought you said we needed to be at your house. You said it was 'the only safe place in Inaba'.”

“I said  _ you _ needed to be here,” Ryotaro said. He turned back to watch Kanji walk down the street. “Kanji's – safe, for now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Is everyone inside?”

“Yes,” she said, the word drawn out with her uncertainty.

“Then let's get inside. I've got something important I need to tell you all.”

Inside the first thing he noticed was how clean it was. “Wow,” he said, “I thought it'd take a week to clean this place up.”

“Dad!” Nanako shot to her feet and ran up to him. She looked from him to Naoto. “Where's Kanji-senpai?”

“He left,” Naoto said. Nanako could feel something radiating off her. It was like resentment, or at least that was the closest word she could attach to it. It wasn't focused, though, as if Naoto wasn't even sure if she was feeling it. With all these strange feelings she'd been getting from Naoto, she wondered if the detective was still being affected by the Memflies, if just a little.

“Dojima-san,” Taro said, “I think I speak for everyone when I say we're grateful for you inviting us into your home, but would you mind explaining what you meant by it being the only safe place?”

“All right,” Ryotaro said, walking into the living room. He saw Chie and Yosuke on the couch, cuddled together and out cold. Teddie was also passed out, his head cradled on the living room table and his bear “costume” in a pile on the floor. Then he noticed the fox. “What's this animal doing in here?”

“She's part of our team,” Rise said. “She was injured in the Shrine fire.”

“Part of your team?” Ryotaro asked. “It's a wild animal.”

“No, Dad, she's not. She's almost kinda...human, really.”

“Please just trust us,” Yukiko said. “She needs to stay with us, and we need to care for her.”

Ryotaro sighed. “All right, just don't let it soil the carpet or anything.” He nodded to the three sleepyheads. “How are they?”

“Exhausted,” Taro said. “They were the most recent ones to get their memories back, and Chie-san...”

“Chie's was the worst,” Yukiko said. “What happened to her...it was far worse than what happened to the rest of us.”

“Actually, Naoto-san was attacked, too,” Taro said. “I'm surprised you're not passing out yourself.”

Since Taro had brought it up, she did notice she was feeling a little muddy-headed. On top of that, her headache was returning. Her fingers and toes were starting to feel numb, and her whole body was becoming lethargic. “I'm...all right.”

“You sure?” Ryotaro said. “You're looking a little pale all of a sudden.”

The light in the house, while dim, was starting to make her eyes ache. “Do you happen to have any extra-strength painkillers? I'm – since you mention it, I feel a headache coming on.”

“Yeah, I'll getcha some,” Nanako said, and headed into the bathroom.

“I really don't want to wake them, but we need to talk,” Ryotaro said. “There's a lot you all need to know, and the sooner the better.”

“Well, I'm guessing you know at least a fair amount about what's been going on,” Taro said. “The TV World, Personas, Loki, Souji and his Shadow.”

Ryotaro nodded. “Yeah. And if I'd spoken up sooner, maybe some of this could've been prevented. But we can't dwell on that now.”

Nanako returned with a pill bottle and popped the top off. “Here ya go, Senpai.” She shook two of the small white pills into Naoto's hand.

“One more, please.”

“The directions say two,” Nanako said.

“Trust me, I'll need three. To start.”

Nanako shrugged. “Okay, but you better not get sick.”  _ Sicker than you already are _ , she thought, though she wasn't sure  _ why _ she had that thought.  _ Migraine _ was another word that popped into her head.  _ Maybe that's why she's so weird lately. She's been having migraines. I heard those things were bad. _

Ryotaro turned to Margaret. “What was your name again?”

“Margaret,” she said. “I am...a friend of Souji-san and Taro-san.”

“From the Velvet Room,” Taro said. “It's time for you all to know about it, because it, and Margaret, played a large part in Souji's power. They're probably the reason you all survived long enough to solve the case, and stop Izanami.”

“Velvet Room?” Nanako said. “That kinda sounds like the name of a naughty bookstore or something.”

“It's not,” Taro said without the slightest hint of humor.

“All right,” Ryotaro said. “Wake them up, please. I'll try to make it quick.”

“Can't you just let them sleep?” Nanako said. “They really need it. Why don't we talk about it, and we'll tell them in the morning.”

Ryotaro shrugged. “All right, I think we can do that. Let's get upstairs so we don't wake them up, though.” He led Nanako, Taro, Rise, Naoto, and Margaret up the stairs. He stopped just outside Souji's room and said, “Okay, I'll start at the beginning.”

He described how he went to work Sunday night, when he didn't remember Souji and when he thought Nanako's attitude was normal. She blushed a little when he described how gruff she'd been to him. At his desk he was working on some random paperwork, and before he even realized what had happened he'd passed out.

“When I woke up, it was like a light flipped on in my head. I remembered just about everything, your Personas, the murders, and all that, though since then more things have been coming back to me here and there. At that moment I just – knew some of what was happening, but the most important part was that I had to help Souji without getting in his way. I gave him a place to stay and basically just kept out of the way. I thought that was what I was supposed to do, but things just got worse. I didn't realize it until I saw the security videos from Junes just how bad they'd gotten.”

“What videos?” Nanako asked.

“Of you attacking Souji,” Ryotaro said. Nanako put a hand to her mouth, and Yukiko gasped.

“That was...that was on video?”

“Yeah,” Ryotaro said.

“Um – does that mean I'm going to jail?”

Ryotaro shook his head with a slight chuckle. “No, luckily.”

“Yeah...” Nanako said. “You know, we can't just stay here. We have to go back in and save him.”

“For right now you all need to stay put,” Ryotaro said. “It's just – a feeling I've got. The same way I found out everything else. Something's gonna happen very soon and you need to be here when it does.”

“Wait, what's going to happen?” Naoto said.

“I don't know. All I know is that you all have to be here, safe, when it does.”

“And you let Kanji just walk away?” Naoto said, her voice rising. She put her hands to her hips. “I'm going after him.”

“Shirogane, don't,” Ryotaro said. “Trust me, don't.”

“Why should I trust you?” Naoto said. “You said yourself you could have done something to help but instead you 'stayed out of the way'. Why should any of us trust you?”

“Then don't. There's nothing I can do to make you stay, but if you're going to leave do it now, because there's important work for everyone to do.”

Naoto's mouth fell open. It had been a long time since she'd been scolded as such, and for the first time in years she was a teenager again, still struggling with her own gender issues while desperate to be taken seriously by those in power.

_ You shouldn't leave _ , she thought.  _ You still have to get at Souji. _

_ But isn't he already gone? _

_ No, not far enough. And if these people have their way, he'll be back and ready to cause havoc again. Leave now and you may lose your one chance to finish him for good. _ As if for emphasis, there was a particularly vigorous throb in her head. She brought her hand to her forehead.

“You all right?” Taro said. “You look...”

Naoto collapsed to her hands and knees. “I – I'm going to...” She heaved, but just barely managed to keep her stomach down. Every muscle in her body clenched as she tried to keep from vomiting all over Dojima's floor, but it took all her willpower, which was eroding rapidly.

There was a shuffle that she couldn't see with her eyes squeezed shut, but with her migraine-amplified hearing she could hear it clearly. She heard a hollow clunk in front of her face, and opened her eyes to see a wastebasket in front of her. “Go ahead, Naoto-kun.” It was a female voice, though she wasn't sure whose it was.

She took hold of the wastebasket, plunged her face into it, and let go. The others turned away, either in disgust or sympathy. Nanako covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut; the sound and smell were almost enough to trigger her own gag reflex.

Naoto heaved again two, three more times, the last two ending in sobs as her stomach muscles cramped, before finally lifting her face out of the wastebasket. She was flushed, dripping with sweat, and was panting heavily. Her eyes were bloodshot and burned. “I – I feel a litt...a little bett...” She toppled over and Rise, who had been kneeling next to her, caught her. She grunted with the strain of supporting the detective's weight.

“Someone help,” Rise said. Ryotaro and Taro grabbed her and lifted her from Rise's lap.

They set her down on the floor. “On her side,” Ryotaro said. “In case she throws up again, so she won't choke on it.”

“Right,” Taro said.

Yukiko placed her palm on Naoto's forehead. “She's a little warm, but it doesn't feel like a fever.”

“Migraine,” Nanako said. “She – I think she said she's having a migraine.”

“I don't remember her saying that,” Rise said. “Might explain her behavior lately, though.”

“Well she must've said it,” Nanako said.

“Then she needs to get to a hospital,” Taro said. “Migraines can get very bad, I've heard.”

Ryotaro shook his head. “No, she has to stay here. It's...”

“The only safe place, yes we get it,” Taro said. “It's a risk either way, but we know that she needs medical treatment, right? What if we...”

“No, she's gotta stay,” Nanako said. “Dad's right. If she leaves she'll be in more danger. We'll just have to do what we can for her here.”

“I – did I say that?” Ryotaro said.

“Then let's get her comfortable,” Yukiko said. “Lying on the floor won't be good for her.”

Nanako retrieved one of the makeshift bedrolls and set it up in her room, and Taro and Ryotaro moved her onto it. Yukiko wiped off her face with a wet towel, while Margaret stood off to the side and watched.

Once she was settled, Rise sighed. “I probably did this to her, didn't I? When I hit her?”

“I doubt it,” Yukiko said, placing a hand on her shoulder and offering her a reassuring smile. Rise placed her hand on Yukiko's and returned the smile. For the first time in days, she remembered why she and Yukiko had once been friends. If only she didn't love Souji so much, they wouldn't have to be rivals.

“Just keep an eye on her tonight,” Ryotaro said. He looked at Nanako, Yukiko, Rise, and Margaret. “All of you. If something happens to her, I'll take her to the hospital myself and just hope – whatever it is – doesn't happen while we're gone.”

“So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?” Yukiko said.

“Take it one step at a time,” Taro said. “We get our rest, prepare, and go rescue Souji-kun as soon as possible. Then we can worry about what to do after that.”

“Yeah,” Nanako said. “We'll go crazy if we try to figure it all out at once. So, uh, anyone gonna go wake up the others? You know, so they can go to bed?”

“I say let them sleep where they are,” Rise said. “They can move if they get uncomfortable.”

“We should probably all turn in,” Yukiko said. “Let our heads clear, so we can figure things out tomorrow.”

“Wait, wasn't there more you needed to tell us?” Taro said, turning to Ryotaro.

Ryotaro shook his head. “There's not much else to tell. I don't have all the answers, I'm just getting information piecemeal.”

Nanako felt something from him. It was almost as if he were holding something back. Something important. But he wouldn't lie to them at such a critical time, would he? He wouldn't lie to  _ her _ , would he? Then again, he already  _ had _ , hadn't he?

“It's probably best that you all get some sleep. If I think of anything else, I'll tell it to you all when you're fresh.”

“Yeah,” Rise said. “I think that's a good idea.”

“Agreed,” Margaret said, “though I don't need sleep.”

“Huh?” Ryotaro said.

“She's – unique,” Taro said.

“I figured that, with the eyes. No offense.”

“Of course,” Margaret said. “I will – ponder our situation and consult the Compendium.” She tapped her book. “We will need a battle plan when we face the Shadow. Also, I'd be interested to learn more about this illness called 'migraine' if there is any information available on it.”

“No Internet,” Nanako said. “Hasn't worked in town in days.”

“No Internet,” Rise said. “That's right, that was the first thing he said to me. Sorry – when Souji came to the library, he wanted to get on the Internet, but I told him it was out all over the district. Interesting coincidence. Do you think Memflies can affect computers?”

Yukiko tilted her head, and then nodded. “Right, you told us you were posing as a librarian.” She yawned. “Sorry, that's not for you, but suddenly I'm just really tired. I think I'm going to go to bed.”

“Let's all do that,” Taro said. “Hopefully in the morning Shirogane-san'll be feeling better, and we'll all be rested up, so we can figure out what we're going to do.”

“All right then,” Nanako said. “Yukiko-senpai, Rise-senpai, you're with me.” She gestured into the bedroom, and the two followed, the door closing a few seconds later.

“I'll set up bedrolls for the others downstairs, in case they want to get more comfortable.” Taro started down the stairs.

“And I'll assist,” Margaret said, following him.

When Ryotaro was finally alone in the hallway, Chisato appeared at his side. “You can't tell her about me. Not yet.”

“She deserves to know. She deserves to know  _ you _ , to be able to talk to you, more than I deserve it.”

“She can't, not yet. She might not be able to make the difficult decisions that lie ahead if she knows that I've been involved.”

Ryotaro turned to her. “What's that mean?”

“Dad? You talking to me?”

He turned around to see Nanako's head poking through the barely-open bedroom door. “No, I'm just...sorting out my thoughts.”

“Well, you should get some sleep too, ya know?”

“Yeah, yeah I will. Goodnight, Nanako.”

“G'night, Dad.” She disappeared into the room and the door closed behind her.

“I wish she didn't have to be involved in this,” Ryotaro said as he closed his bedroom door.

“Me either,” Chisato said, “but there's no choice. She's as critical to this as any of the rest of them are.”

“Doesn't mean I have to like it.”

Chisato smiled warmly. “No, it doesn't. But if I know Nanako's stubbornness, and since she got it from you I'd say I do, then she won't let anything get in the way of what she knows she needs to do.”

“Yeah,” Ryotaro said, nodding. “That's what I'm afraid of.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 14, 2018

“Nanako-chan! Naoto-chan! Everyone, wake up!”

Naoto's eyes snapped open. Where was she? She remembered her migraine worsening, feeling sick to her stomach, and then...strange dreams. She'd dreamt of storms, of floods, lightning, and thunder. Washing over the Earth, devouring it. Washing all of humanity away with it. And yet, it had filled her with an immense calm, as if it were the culmination of years of work. Bizarre dreams weren't out of the ordinary while sleeping off one of her migraines, but this one felt – different somehow.

She tried to open her eyes, finding her eyelids almost too heavy to lift. Already she could feel the ache returning to her head. Her hands and feet felt frozen, and she was still slick with sweat.  _ How the hell could I have lost my pills? _ Her eyes felt like swollen golf balls in her face, bulging against the sockets. Forcing them open only made it worse. Usually after sleeping off a migraine, even if she hadn't taken her pills, she would be groggy but still a little giddy. This time, it was as if a bomb were repeatedly going off in her head. She moved her hands around to restore circulation and realized that she was covered with a blanket. She felt her breath rebounding on something and touched what felt like a plastic bowl in front of her face.  _ What happened? Did I –pass out? That's never happened before. _

“C'mon, don't make me come in there!” It was Yosuke's voice, slightly muffled through the slats in the door.

“Don't you dare,” Yukiko growled, pushing herself into a sitting position.

“Just go look out the window!”

“Okay, chill out, Senpai!” Nanako said, rolling out of bed. She padded toward the window and squinted hard against the bright light spilling in as she pulled open the curtains.

“Hey!” Rise said, throwing her arm over her eyes. “Give us some warning!” She stood and joined Nanako at the window.

“What?” Nanako said. “It's just cloudy out.” She looked up in the sky, but immediately turned away when the yellow sun started burning her eyes. But if the sun was out, why was it so dark? She looked down into the street. Everything seemed...gray.

The yellow line down the middle of the road, freshly painted only a few weeks ago, was pale white. The house across the street, which had been flying a colorful banner in honor of the head of household's birthday, was a dark gray, where it had been blue the day before.

“That can't be right,” Rise said, rubbing her eyes. “Shouldn't that stop sign be red?”

“What are you guys seeing?” Yukiko said, looking out the other, Naoto pushed herself off the floor and joined her. “Oh, Naoto-kun. Are you all right?”

“I think so,” Naoto said, squinting at the outside light and feeling fresh twinges of pain in her head for it. “Can't really see very well. It's all gray to me.”

“I'm seeing the same thing,” Yukiko said.

“Open the door!” Yosuke said. “You guys see it, don't you?”

“Don't you come in here!” Rise said. “We're...” She stopped when she saw a person walking down the street. She looked like a woman, but faded, as if implanted over the street with cheap photo editing. A swarm of black dots was swirling around her translucent head. It was exactly as she'd seen them in the Shadow World, through Kanzeon's eyes. But never here...

She saw two more people walk down the road, both looking the same as the first. “Guys, are you seeing this?”

“Yeah,” Yukiko said. “Everything's - gone gray.”

“Yeah, but look at those people,” Rise said. “They look different to you?”

Yukiko gasped. “They're...I can see through them. And are those - they're Memflies!”

“You guys seeing this?” Yosuke said.

“Hey, what's with all the yelling?” That was Ryotaro's voice.

“Yes, we see it!” Nanako said. “This is...real bad.”

“Like in the Shadow World,” Naoto said, taking a few deep breaths. The light from outside was really hurting her head. “But that would mean...”

“It's starting,” Nanako said, staring off into the distance. “That Shadow's bringing his world into the real one.”

“Just like with Izanami and the fog,” Rise said.

“If we don't stop it now,” Yukiko said, “I – I don't know, but it'll be bad.”

Naoto tried to power through the muddy-headedness. “I think he'll do to the world what Izanami couldn't. He's going to make the real world his own personal playground.”

“Then we gotta get moving,” Nanako said. “We can't wait; we gotta go after him  _ now _ .”


	15. Separation And Reunion

He wanted to scream.

He wanted to cry.

He wanted to laugh.

Anything to prove he was still alive.

For the first time in his life he knew what true agony was. It wasn't pain, or even fear. It was losing what made you  _ you _ .

It was losing time. How long had it been? Seconds? Minutes?

Years?

He'd felt himself being torn out of his body. Being betrayed by his own self to the very demon from which he was trying to save his friends. How could he have been so foolish? Why hadn't he trusted them?

Why had he trusted his own darkness so much? He'd always known it was there. Has he been so narcissistic to think that it was incorruptible?

Floating, spread across farther than he could imagine, he couldn't even collect his own mind into anything coherent. Every thought he was having, every thought he  _ ever  _ had, was coming together in disjointed fragments. He tried to sort them out, to focus on one little bit and then try to find every other bit that seemed to match it, but it was like trying to piece together a single glass bottle from the shattered shards of thousands.

Past conversations mixed in with everything, to the point where he couldn't even be sure which thoughts were his own, and which had come from someone else's words.  _ Fine, live however you want...the square of the hypotenuse is equal to...Say hello to your new classmate...the King's word is...Big Bro, Daddy...keep going at this pace and you'll break...someone help me...I am a Shadow, the true self...why do we have to move again...so does everyone in Japan wear kimonos and flip-flops...how are you so popular when you're always so quiet...please help Grandpa's legs get better...Yukiko-senpai, noooo...I can't believe I have to go live in the sticks...gotta pull it together...c'mon, Leader, let's do this...why don't you guys just get a real job at home...we're counting on you, Leader...I hate having to make new friends...I love you, Senpai...ooh, he's from the big city...power equals current times voltage...what do you say, Leader...you never saw me as just Risette, so I signed it “Rise”...absolute...you guys suck...what the hell am I doing...Big Bro...someone help me...Souji-kun...I can't take this...hey, partner...I can't – I can't...I love you...I can't say it...accept the reality of your death...someone please help me...I cheated...someone please kill me...Souji-senpai...someone please help me...Souji-chan...SOMEONE PLEASE! _

As if reacting to his silent scream, the replay of voices faded into the echo of infinity into which he'd been condemned. For a brief moment he could see again, could string together coherent thoughts.

He could see people running, in slow motion, beneath him.  _ Running...running...they look familiar...Nanako...Rise...no, they're running away...  _ He knew instantly  _ why _ they were running away. It was to escaped from  _ him _ . The one who had lied to him, whom he had trusted and who had then taken away all that he had.  _ He _ was going to kill them.  _ Have to help somehow...have to...have to... _ The cacophony of his disjointed mind began to swell again.  _ I don't wanna die...I think I'm in love...I'm scared...I have to help them...it's too late...I have to save them...it's not too late...the heart is shaken more by a single action...we have to move again, son...I have to do something...let's go study together...I have to help them...every day's great at your Junes...you'll be staying with your uncle...I have to do something...they made you live out in the middle of nowhere...I have to help them...damn, I ripped my pants...I have to do something...I have to help them...I have to do something... _

_ If you can focus for just a second you can help them. _

Something had formed in between the bits of him scattered throughout the grayed-out world. The new voice, gentle and female yet with an unquestionable authority behind them, helped cut through the dissonance, and for a brief moment he could see her floating there, looking upon and touching every tiny bit of his being at once. Even though she appeared to be in every place at once, he thought she looked like little more than a normal woman. She was wrapped in a kimono and had a vaguely familiar face, but one his scattered mind could not recall.

She'd said something, hadn't she? Something about focus, and helping...someone. Helping...them. His  _ friends _ . Them.  _ Help them...  _ he thought.  _ Help...how? _

_ They can't win this fight now. You have to give them a way out. _

_ Way out?  _ he thought.  _ Way out...of what...way out...of here...of this world...way out...of course, to the real world! Focus...focus...way...way...out...every day young life Junes...gotta focus...why don't you ever say you love me...help them...you're the culprits... _

His vision cleared again, even as the chatter remained. They were in danger. The left half, his other half, was slowly drawing in on them, and the Memflies were boxing them in.  _ Get out...you have to get out of here...I am thou...how to get them out...no TV...we're all trapped in a maze of relationships...TV...not the key...TV not the key? Not...how...how is...Mystery Food X...the key...key is in the door...the door...Timid Teacher...door...I made the door...can make another...my dungeon...this is my dungeon...I can control it...I reach out to the truth...the truth...no different than before...Nanako go to the door...stupid Daddy...Nanako you have to hear me...I make you a door...Big Bro...the stupidest one of all...gotta focus... _

Though all appeared to be moving slowly, time was running out.  _ Door. Have to make door. Door. Make door. Door. Door...door...door...door...  _ He felt it come into existence. He had thought it, and then it just  _ was _ . It wasn't much, just a hole in the fabric separating this world from the real one, but it was enough.

They didn't see it. Death was coming and they couldn't see the door. He had made the door but they couldn't see the door. His mind shouted at them, trying to set aside everything but the one message he wanted them to hear.

_ Get to the door...Rise...Yukiko _ ... _ Nanako hear me...go to the door...everyone...gotta run...run like the wind...gone with the wind...it's always easier to add more spice later than to...no, gotta focus...Nanako can hear thoughts...hear me...hear me...left the car running...Nanako run for Izanagi...run from it...aiyaaa...Nanako run...Nanako run...who took my shoes...Nanako run...Nanako run...Nanako Nanako...Nanako run Nanako...escape Nanako... _

He could see Nanako grab her head, and heard her scream, her voice low and drawn out.  _ No – he's hurting her somehow...gotta try harder _ ... _ Nanako...got to get out...door...run to the door...get everyone out...can't fight it...I should've saved you Mayumi...Nanako you have to run...hear me please...run...run...run... _

“No, slow down!” It was Nanako's voice. Was she really hearing him? Was it working? He was thinking too much – she couldn't get the message. He had to try to focus just a little more, even if it was the last thing he did. As he did so, though, he could feel the door start to slip away.

_ Not much time...you can hear me Nanako...I'm so sorry...door...can't hold the door...Nanako please...Nanako go to the door...Nanako door...Nanako Nanako door...door Nanako door... _

“Tell me what you...”

_ Door...door...Nanako door...run...please Nanako...please door...please run...door...door door....door door...door... _

“Door!” She pointed toward the door he'd created. His relief was extremely short-lived, though, as he watched the painfully slow movements as they all realized what she was saying.  _ Hurry...hurry... _ They ran into the portal, their steps appearing slow and clumsy to him, but within seconds everyone was through. Everyone was  _ safe _ . If he were capable of it, he would have cried at that moment. At least they wouldn't have to pay the same price he had for his mistake.

“Dammit!” It was his voice, but in his fleeting clarity he remembered that someone else was in control of it. The face that was and yet was  _ not _ his turned up to the sky. “You think that's the end of it? That they got away? No, they're gonna come back for you, when they get enough courage for it. And then they're all mine!”

Of course, he knew his other half was right, that they would return and face a fate similar to his. But for now, this fleeting moment, he needed to savor in just a little victory.  _ Maybe...but not now...now you're on your own...nobody to hurt... _

His Shadow cried out in anger and Izanagi-no-Okami came forth from his body. It threw lightning bolts into the sky, but Souji could feel nothing and knew the attack was useless against him in his disincorporated form. It was a temper tantrum, pure and simple, and it added to his moment of satisfaction.

And then he remembered that his other self was right.  _ They would come back for him, even if he found some way to tell them not to. They're going to come back...face death for me...death is but a door...door is shut...what do I do then...I've had better steaks cut from a shoe...where's that woman who helped me...told me about the door...are you two fighting again...if you can hear me please answer...I need your help...won't you please please help me...help me Rhonda...no, stop it...focus, dammit...I need you, please help... _

No help came. The female form that had spoken to him was gone. He wasn't sure who it might have been, or even if it hadn't somehow been a cross between his own memories and a mirage to begin with. Now he was purely alone, at least until the others walked right back into his Shadow's trap, and it killed them.

With the little bit of mental strength he had left, he prayed they found a way to drastically increase their power before then. If not, the Shadow would surely kill them, just as its master had done to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanako rushed down the stairs, only barely realizing that she was still in her pajamas and not caring anyway. She ran to the front door and threw it open. It was the same as she'd seen from her bedroom window – everything outside was shades of gray, and the woman she'd seen was faded, with what she could only assume were fully visible Memflies darting around her head.

“No, don't!” A pair of hands pulled her back and a bare foot kicked the door shut. She turned to see that they belonged to Chie. “We don't know what's happening out there, and we don't want it to get in!”

“But...but...how?” Nanako said. “How is it doing this?”

“It's spreading.” She looked past Chie to see Margaret standing at the sliding glass doors, staring outside. “His Shadow is spreading it to your world.”

“But look at her,” Nanako said, leaping to the kitchen window. She threw open the shades and pointed to the woman. “She – she doesn't even notice!”

“Do we see them looking like that 'cause we're in here?” Yosuke said. He turned to the others, who had followed him downstairs. “Or is it something special because of our Personas?”

Yukiko turned to Ryotaro, who had just descended the stairs and was still in his sweats. “What do you see out there?”

He leaned past Nanako and looked out the kitchen window. “It's all...holy mother...” He caught sight of a man walking down the opposite side of the street, as faded and Memfly-infested as the woman had been.

“You see it?” Nanako said. “No color, and people faded out with little black things flying around their heads?”

“Uh...yeah, that's what it looks like.”

“So it's because we're in here,” Rise said.

“Or because we don't have Memflies,” Chie said.

“Or because we just woke up,” Naoto said, taking slow, measured steps down the stairs. The movement was making her head ache again, and the excited voices weren't helping. Each word felt like her brain trying to blast its way out of her skull. “It's just like the fog. It can't be a coincidence. We already know what's causing it and what we have to do. We need to stop discussing it and take action.”

“She's right,” Taro said from his position beside Margaret. He headed to the kitchen, where most of the rest of the group had gathered. “Everyone go get ready and we'll figure out what we need to do.” He turned to Nanako. “Unless you plan to fight in pajamas.”

“No  _ thank _ you,” Nanako said, bounding up the steps.

As the other women followed after her, Ryotaro said quietly to Naoto, “How are you doing?” Naoto, having passed out after her violent bout of nausea, ended up sleeping in her clothes. Both they and her hair looked less groomed than if she'd gone swimming in them.

“All right, I guess,” she said. “I could use some more painkiller though, if it's all right.”

“In the medicine cabinet in the bathroom,” Ryotaro said. “Help yourself. Still need to go to the pharmacy?”

Naoto gave a chuckle, and winced at the resulting spike in pain. “Probably wouldn't be a good idea right now,” she said, hooking a thumb over her shoulder.

“Sorry. I wish I could be more help.” With that he headed upstairs toward his own room.

“Maybe you should sit this out.” Taro was beside her, his arms crossed. He, also, had apparently slept in his clothes, though aside from his under-fed lankiness he looked far better than she felt. “Last night we thought we'd have to take you to the hospital.”

“I'm fine,” Naoto said. “I will fight.”

“And if you pass out while we're in the  _ middle _ of a fight? What then?”

“Then leave me to die. Or use me as a human shield. I really don't care.” She stalked off toward the bathroom and closed the door without so much as a glance back.

“Man, what's gotten into her?” Chie asked. She took a sip from the glass of juice she'd just retrieved from the fridge.

Taro shrugged. “She's not always like this?”

“Nope,” Chie said, once she'd swallowed. “Well, I mean – the last time we all talked. I remember she was okay back yesterday when our memories were still all messed up, but back before that...”

“Could just be she's worried about Kanji-kun,” Yosuke said, pulling out a small covered bowl from the fridge. He popped the lid open, sniffed it, and then pulled out a chunk of what looked like meat with his fingers. He put it in his mouth, and then almost immediately spit it back out into his hand. “Ugh, now I know what he meant about needing courage to eat the leftovers here,” he said, re-covering the dish and putting it back.

“She  _ did  _ take their breakup pretty hard,” Chie said. She turned to Taro. “Sorry. She and Kanji were real close, back around when we all first met. Kanji seemed really sweet on her...”

“...back when he thought she was a guy,” Yosuke interjected. He took a sip of water from the kitchen faucet and swished it around his mouth.

Chie rolled her eyes. “Anyway, they started dating not too long after we – well, after we caught you. Then a few years ago when Kanji's mom died, he just...I don't know, stopped talking to us. Then Naoto did too, and we found out they'd broken up. I mean, they didn't tell each other they were breaking up, Kanji just stopped talking to her, and she eventually stopped coming to town. Then she stopped answering her phone altogether.”

“Kanji-kun was so sad about his mom,” Teddie said, heading toward the fridge. He opened it and pulled out the same bowl that Yosuke had just tried. He ate a piece, made a brief face in disgust, and then took another bite. “Yech. I even went and visited him and offered to let him feel my fur. He  _ always _ wanted to do that. But he acted like he didn't even  _ know _ me. If that's what he did to Nao-chan, too, it probably hurt her a lot.”

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “Maybe this is just how she is now. It's been years since any of us talked to her. Except for me, Chie, Yukiko and Teddie, all of us just kinda – drifted apart. Kinda worried about her, though.”

“Me too,” Chie said, taking another sip of juice.

Taro nodded. He then noticed the faces Teddie was making as he ate the leftovers. “Looks like you hate that. Why are you eating it? As a matter of fact, how can you guys even  _ think _ of eating right now?”

“Well, we got a long day of rescuing coming up,” Teddie said through his mouthful of questionable foodstuff.

“And you can't do good work on an empty stomach!” Chie said, finishing off her glass of juice and placing it by the sink.

“You always say that,” Yosuke said, kissing the nape of her neck.

“Hey!” Chie said, jerking away involuntarily. “That tickles!” She rubbed the spot vigorously, but have Yosuke a small smile and a wink. “I say it 'cause it's true. No good starving yourself and running out of energy in the thick of the fight.”

“Maybe,” Taro said. What they said made sense, even though he had no appetite, especially with the surprise awakening over the change to the outside world. Still, he didn't feel right raiding the refrigerator of a house in which he was a guest, particularly when the host didn't like or trust him very much. Then again, maybe some instant coffee would do him good.

Naoto emerged from the bathroom. Her face and hair were wet, and she'd used the sink to wash down as many pain pills as she thought she could do safely. Aside from her mouth no longer being bone dry and saturated with a sickeningly sweet/sour taste, she felt little better.

The living room was mostly abandoned, with the others either in the kitchen or still upstairs. Only Margaret and the fox were still there, Margaret staring out the glass doors and the fox still apparently asleep, despite the ruckus. Naoto walked up to the fox and bent down to pat her head, but the fox immediately woke, stood, and backed away, growling quietly.

“What's wrong?” Naoto asked. “It's just...me. You know me.” She reached further, but the fox barked, the sound bringing another sharp pain to her head.

“Hey, everything okay over there?” Chie said.

“Fine,” Naoto said, backing away.

“She seems afraid of you,” Margaret said, kneeling down.

“I'm sure I smell hideous,” Naoto said. “I'd shower if I had a change of clothes.”

“You appear unwell. Are you still ill with this 'migraine'?”

Naoto blinked her eyes. Had they told her...? Had she told anyone in the first place? She'd been out of it the night before, but thought she still remembered everything that had happened to her. “I – think so, but it'll pass.”

“Good. Your friends were very worried about you. I believe they still are.”

_ Friends _ , she thought. It had been so long since she'd really thought of them as friends.  _ Do they still consider themselves my friends? Even after I stayed away for so long? Even after...last night? _ She had come to realize over the proceeding months and years that was childish of her, keeping her distance if for no other reason than to sulk, but despite the pain of abandoning her friendships she somehow couldn't bring herself to return. She'd been ashamed by her own behavior, but there had been something else, something telling her they didn't miss her, that returning would be a waste of time. Had the Memflies been affecting her even then? Either way, it warmed her to know they did indeed still care, even if just a little.

_ Don't forget they are still closer to him than you _ , she thought.

_ I haven't forgotten. _

“So,” she said, after realizing she and Margaret had been staring at each other for a little too long, “what's your story?”

“My story?” Margaret said. “I am – a friend.”

“Of whose?”

“Of everyone's, I hope,” she said. “However, the first of you I met was Souji-san.”

_ Of course _ , Naoto thought. “Met where, if you don't mind my asking?”

“It...it is not my place to say,” Margaret said. “I am not trying to be evasive, but there are certain – restrictions on what I may say or do. Even given my current...situation.”

“I see,” Naoto said. “Actually, now that I remember, wasn't Namatame-san going to tell us about you? And some place called the 'Velvet Room', if I'm not mistaken.”

“He said he was,” Margaret said, “but I don't believe he got the chance.”

“I'm guessing from your eyes that you're no ordinary human.”

Margaret raised an eyebrow. “You could say that.”

“I'm sorry, that was rude of me,” Naoto said, sitting down. She rubbed her forehead.

“It's hard to be polite when you're sick,” Margaret said. “Something Souji-san once told me when he had...what do you call it...a 'cold'?”

_ Everything just revolves around him _ , Naoto thought.  _ Convincing them will be difficult. _ “Very true, in my experience.”

There was a thumping of feet from behind her. “Okay everyone,” Nanako said, “We've got work to do.”

Within a few more minutes everyone was dressed and ready. Nanako had them all don their shoes and ushered them all to the sliding glass door. The wooden deck and fence on the other side were all a similar color of dark gray, while the grass was a lighter gray. The sky was still overcast, though they could see some fluctuations in the intensity of the dull light coming from it.

“Okay,” Nanako said, “somebody's gotta go out there. We don't have any way to get to the Shadow World from inside the house, and we can't stay here forever.” She gripped the handle and flipped up the lock, but immediately her father's hand was on hers.

“Wait,” Ryotaro said.

“Dad, it's not like we'll get sucked out or something. We already had the front door open, remember?”

“I mean, I'd rather you not be so close to the outside, especially if it's dangerous. I'll go.”

“No, not a good idea,” Yosuke said. “We're the ones who'll have to go outside, 'cause we're the ones going into the Shadow World. One of us should go.”

“Let me go first,” Taro said. “If anything happens to me, you all can figure something else out.”

“Taro-kun,” Rise said, grabbing his arm. He turned to her, and she continued, “Don't go thinking you're expendable, 'cause you're not.”

“I'll go,” Naoto said.

Taro shook his head, pulled from Rise's grip, and, after taking a deep breath, stepped outside. He held his breath for a moment and looked down at himself. His hands and clothes still had color to them. He turned back to the others. “I'm going to take a breath. Watch me.” He expelled the rest of the air in his lungs and then drew in a deep breath.

The air was chilly and dry, unseasonably so for a late spring morning, but otherwise it seemed okay. He took another breath, and then a third. Aside from a slight prickly feeling at the base of his neck, he felt fine. He stepped down into the grass and took a couple steps until he stopped at the fence. He felt a quiver in his stomach, and his mouth started filling with saliva. He swallowed it, but his stomach protested lightly.

“Hey, you okay?” He turned back to the house. Everyone was standing at the door, watching him. “You're kinda turning green,” Chie said.

He took a couple deep breaths, which seemed to help his nausea a little bit. “Yeah, I'm – okay, I think. Maybe just a little nervous.”

Chie stepped outside and started toward him. She leapt off the deck onto the grass, but as soon as she landed she put her hands to her stomach. “Oh. Oh, that's...weird. I don't...” She burped, and her face immediately turned red. “Oh God, sorry! I'm not feeling so good.” She moved one hand to her forehead. “Head kinda hurts, too.”

“Get back in here you two,” Yukiko said, leaning out the door and extending her hand. “It's gotta be the – whatever it is out there.”

“No, no,” Taro said, “I'm okay. It's not getting any worse.” He took one more deep breath. “It's okay. We need to get to the Shadow World as soon as possible, and the only way to do that is outside.”

Yosuke pushed past Yukiko and stepped down toward Chie. “Ugh – feels like the last time I ate one of your omelets.”

“If I didn't have a headache right now I'd kick your ass,” said Chie through gritted teeth.

Yukiko walked out next, followed by Rise, and both stopped when they stepped onto the grass. Teddie followed, and burped as soon as he neared Rise.

“Ugh, take that somewhere else, Teddie,” Rise said, waving a hand in front of her face.

“Boy, I wish I hadn't eaten that stuff,” he said, clutching his stomach.

“Don't you dare barf up on me!” Rise said.

Margaret came next, stepping gently onto the soft earth. She took a couple steps and then stopped. “Oh!” she said.

“You all right?” Yukiko said.

She looked down. “My shoes seem to be sinking,” she said, twisting her left foot to examine the heel sinking into the soil. “What a curious sensation.” She stepped out of her shoes and plucked them from the ground, examining the bits of grass and dirt stuck to the heels.

“You feel okay?” Taro said.

“Yes,” Margaret said, sounding as if the answer had been obvious. She started picking the dirt off her shoes with a fingernail. “I feel no difference in my – well, what  _ passes _ for my stomach or head, which is where your problems seem to be.”

Naoto stood at the doorway, glancing at Ryotaro and Nanako. The last thing she needed was for her headache to worsen, but she couldn't remain at the house. She knew they needed her, and having already failed her friends once in the past twenty four hours, she had no desire to do so again. “Here I go,” she muttered. She stepped out onto the deck, feeling no different. Since almost everyone was off to the right, she headed to the left side, in case she became overwhelmed and her stomach evacuated itself. Humiliation by once again vomiting in front of her friends would be less than vomiting  _ on _ one of them.

She stepped off the deck, and felt an immediate change. The dullness in her head disappeared, the sharp ache subsiding. Her stomach, which had been tied up in knots and churning uncomfortably, settled down.

“Naoto-kun? You okay?”

She turned to the others. She could see the green tint in their faces, all but Margaret's, but she felt fine. Almost as good as she'd ever felt, even though a bit of the headache still seemed to be clinging on. “Actually...yes. I feel – better.”

“Well at least that's one of us,” Yosuke said. With a glance to Margaret, he added, “Or two, I guess.”

“Huh,” Nanako said. “Okay, my turn.” She slipped under her father's arm, stepped outside, and onto the grass. She immediately felt tears come to her eyes as she suppressed a burp. There was a strange feeling in the back of her head. Not pain, but more like a faint buzzing, almost like a constant drone of cicadas. She looked up and all around, but couldn't find the source of it. When her examining eyes passed Naoto, though, her gut instinct told her the buzzing was, somehow, coming from Naoto herself.  _ What the hell? _ She shook her head and turned away.  _ No, can't be. It's just my head. _

Rise squeezed her eyes shut and tried to concentrate on something, anything, other than the discomfort. The only thing that came to mind was Souji's face, how good it felt to have him at her side, holding her hand as they tried to cook lunch together, just the two of them...  _ Dammit, stop it! I can't keep thinking about this now! I can't...can't be...distracted...  _ She couldn't force the image out of her head, nor the feelings it invoked. And yet they had the desired effect, her headache and queasiness subsiding a little.

_ I'm here with you. _

“Did you guys hear that?”

They all turned to Nanako, who was squinting and rubbing her temples.

“Hear what?” Yukiko said. “It's quiet.” She stroked her forehead. “Thankfully.”

“You didn't?” Nanako asked. Several of them shook their heads. “But I thought...never mind.” She glanced at Rise, who nodded and offered a small smile through the pain.

_ I heard it too _ , Rise thought.  _ It was Souji. I think...he might've been talking to us. _

“That's strange,” Naoto said. She blinked and took a deep breath. “Why do I feel fine when the rest of you – well, don't look so well? How is that?”

“Good question,” Chie said, swallowing. “I think – I need to go back inside.”

“Me too,” Yosuke said. “Can't really think...feeling like this.”

Ryotaro, who hadn't left the house, leaned out the door and helped them all up and inside. Each of them felt better almost immediately after entering, except for Naoto, who felt both her headache and queasiness return the second she stepped onto the deck. She gave a mirthless chuckle. “Maybe I should  _ stay _ outside.” Once inside she sat down on the carpet and closed her eyes against the invading light.  _ I'm sure Rise-chan would prefer that. _

As everyone settled, Ryotaro closed the door. “So how do you all plan to get to a TV set if you all get sick out there?”

“Not all of us were,” Nanako said, turning to Naoto. What was that strange feeling she got every time she looked at the young detective?

“I felt fine,” Naoto said. “I'm not sure why.”

“All right, here's what we need to do,” Taro said, standing. “We know that outside, we all get sick. Almost all,” he corrected before anyone could protest. “We don't know what will happen if we go into another house. It might be like in here, or it might be just like outside. I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel like wandering house to house asking people if we can use their big-screen TVs.” That garnered a mild chuckle from a few of the team. “We can either go to my house, or Junes. Junes is a little further away, but we wouldn't have to climb any stairs to get to the TV like at my place.”

“Then it's gotta be Junes,” Rise said. “I don't think I could've handled stairs, feeling like that.”

“That's an awfully long walk,” Yukiko said. “I don't know if I could make it.”

“My car's still here,” Chie said. “It's not big enough for everyone, though.”

“We can take my car,” said Ryotaro. “It's bigger, but it won't fit ten people very well.”

“Wait a minute, Dad, you mean you're coming too?” Nanako said.

“That's right,” he said, nodding. “Too much bad has happened because I sat on the sidelines. I'm going to help you this time, no matter...” He briefly turned to his right. “No matter what I was told.”

“Will you be okay waiting at Junes?” Yukiko said. “What if things get worse on this side while we're gone?”

“I'm going into that Shadow World with you,” Ryotaro said.

“What?” Chie and Nanako said at the same time. Nanako continued, “No, Dad, you can't...”

He interrupted, “Whatever happens from here on out, I'm with you guys.”

“No, no way,” Yosuke said. “You're not...you don't...”

“So I don't have a 'Persona' thing like you do. So what? I'm still a cop, and I can defend myself.”

“Not against this,” Rise said. “It's not the same...”

“What if your Shadow comes out as soon as you get inside?” Yosuke interrupted. “We can't fight Souji's and your Shadows at the same time.”

“But if he doesn't  _ deny _ his Shadow,” Naoto said, wincing again at a fresh throb in her head, “then there wouldn't have to be two battles.”

“I wouldn't do something stupid like that,” Ryotaro said. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, and he continued, “So what do you mean anyway, 'denying' it?”

“Your Shadow's the innermost part of yourself,” Rise said. “It takes everything you've been keeping inside, the stuff you don't want anyone else to see, and just puts it out there for you. And everyone else watching.”

“It's easy enough to say you won't deny it, but harder in practice,” Yukiko said. “I remember mine very well. Thinking back I wonder how I was so stupid to deny those parts of me when I knew they were there. I think it was just humiliation.”

“That's the big thing, it's just humiliating for everyone to see that part of you. Every time, we all had to fight everyone's Shadows,” Chie said. “We had to beat them to make them weak enough so the real one could get the strength to accept it.”

As the others debated the merits and drawbacks of Ryotaro joining them, Naoto had felt her thoughts wander. She hated feeling sick, and hated worse how much more difficult it made it for her to focus. And yet, her thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. “I'm worried for Kanji,” she said, cutting through the discussion. “He's out there in that.” She turned to Dojima. “You should have made him stay.”

“He – I couldn't make him stay,” Ryotaro said. “He was still affected by what's hit everyone else.”

“And you didn't know that was going to happen?” She pointed out the glass doors.

“If we'd managed to jog his memories and bring him back, he would've  _ had _ to stay, right?” Chie turned to Ryotaro. “Right?”

“Probably,” Ryotaro said.

She turned back to Naoto. “Why'd you stop Yukiko from doing that, then? Wouldn't he have  _ wanted _ to stay?”

“Yeah, that's a really good question,” Yukiko said. “You know, you've been acting strangely lately. First you got mad at Souji for forgetting about Kanji-kun, and then you ignore our calls while you're hanging out with him. Then last night you stopped us when we tried to help him. What's the deal with you lately?”

Naoto was used to being the center of attention, and being stared down by haughty police chiefs who, despite her reputation, still saw her as a petulant child. Now, though, with her own group of friends all staring her down, she felt a desperate desire to shrink away. Never once had she given into that desire, even as a little girl. “I guess you all forgot, then,” she said. “After his mother died, he didn't want anything to do with any of us. Not even me. What about now? Now we're able to reach out to him. He's actually listening to me. Talking to me. Does he need to get his memories back so quickly if that means he'll be pushing me... _ us _ all away again?”

“How is it our choice?” Ryotaro said. “They're his memories, not ours. Maybe I should have tried harder to get him to stay.”

“He's too stubborn,” Naoto said, a smile tugging at her lips. “Once he decided to leave, he was leaving.”

“Okay, guys,” Rise said, raising a hand, “maybe we should talk about this all later. In case you forgot, there's still a huge Shadow we have to fight and a friend's life we gotta save.” She turned to Naoto. “Naoto-kun, are you gonna help us or not? Honestly, I don't really care what you do, but if you're not gonna help then stay out of our way.”

Before Naoto could reply, Nanako said, “No, we need her help,” though her voice betrayed how unsure she was. As hard as she tried, she couldn't ignore the strange feeling from Naoto, almost as if she weren't all there. It wasn't just a side effect of the migraine, she was sure of it. And yet, they still needed her. She was still their friend. “It's gonna take all of us to beat it and save Big Bro.”

Naoto stared over them all.  _ They're turning on you, _ she thought.  _ They've all bought into his lies, and they're going to fight you to save him, even if it means the end of the world. _

_ Then I have to do my best to convince them otherwise. I have to stop thinking about Kanji for now, and just worry about this. _ “I'm coming with you. I haven't forgotten the pledge we all made to each other. It's just...been difficult for me. To see Kanji again after all this time. Part of me wants to save him, and part of me wants a fresh start. I suppose – I acted on impulse. I promise I won't do that again.”

She felt a little relief when she saw that the answer seemed to have mollified them. All except for Nanako. Nanako was staring at her, almost as if she were trying to determine whether Naoto was telling the truth. Maybe her worries for her beloved “Big Bro” were making her extra cautious.

_ Or maybe she'll follow him to the end, and you'll have to “stop” her too. _

She shook her head with that thought, before even realizing she'd done it. Fortunately, the conversation seemed to have turned away from her and nobody noticed. Not even Nanako.

_ She's part of the innocence I'm trying to protect. Hopefully, someday, she'll understand. _

_ If she doesn't you might  _ have  _ to kill her. _

Kill her? Naoto bit her tongue, hard enough to cause pain and to taste her own salty blood. She wasn't sure where those thoughts were coming from, but she needed to stop them. Naoto was many things, but not a killer. She wasn't even sure killing Souji was the answer. They had stopped Adachi without killing him. Nanako wasn't even a direct part of Souji's schemes. She couldn't help being so enamored with her cousin; hadn't he seduced them all in one way or another, into believing he was humanity's hope, not its destruction?  _ Even me, once. _

“But if we can't go outside without getting sick, how're we gonna make the drive all the way to Junes?” Chie said. “I mean, what happens if we get halfway there and end up – end up  _ dead _ from whatever it is?”

“Or whoever's driving passes out and we get in an accident,” Yosuke said. “Like that one guy on the news last month...”

There was a howl from beside her and they all looked down. The fox jumped onto the table, standing tall and proud, despite the twitch in her burned hind leg.

“She'll protect us,” Teddie said. “She's still weak but she'll give it all for us.”

“We can drive it,” Yukiko said. “If we go fast enough we can get there before we get too sick.”

“What happens if it's a distance thing?” Taro said. “We get far enough away from safety and whoever's driving passes out, and we end up crashing into someone's house.”

“You're such a ray of sunshine, you know,” Rise said.

“But he's right,” Naoto said. “Someone should drive who isn't as badly affected by the – whatever it is. Apparently, that's me.”

“That's one car, but who'll drive the other one?” Nanako said.

“My car doesn't have enough room to fit everyone safely,” Ryotaro said.

“It's only a short trip,” Naoto said. “If we can all find a way to fit in there, I would rather chance that than risking that the driver of the other car having an accident.”

“I'm not affected,” Margaret said, speaking up for the first time. “I could drive the second car.”

“Uh, have you ever driven before?” Taro asked.

“No, but how difficult can it be?”

“One car,” Ryotaro said. “Some people will just have to sit on laps.”

“Woohoo!” Teddie shouted, jumping to his feet. “I wanna choose first! Uh...Yuki-chan! No...Mar-chan! Or maybe Rise-chan...can I lie down on  _ all  _ your laps?”

“No!” Yukiko and Rise shouted in unison.

“Possibly,” Margaret said.

“Ugh, don't encourage him,” Yosuke said.

“Too late!” Teddie said. “I'm all encouraged now! I can bear-ly wait!”

Taro sighed loudly. “All right, then. Here's the plan. We all fit into Dojima-san's car, with Shirogane-san driving. We get to Junes as fast as we can and get into the closest TV we can find, and hope that whatever's making us sick over here doesn't affect us over there.”

“If it does we're probably screwed,” Yosuke said.

“Once we're there,” Taro continued over Yosuke's comment, “once we're there we're going to face the Shadow. And beat it.”

“That's a plan?” Rise said.

“ _ How _ do we beat it?” Chie said.

“With my help, of course,” Margaret said. “With the power of all Souji-san's Persona's, wielded by myself and Taro-san.”

“What?” Taro said.

Margaret continued, “When you all fought me, it took every ounce of your strength and every bit of your skill to defeat me. Adding my power to yours will not necessarily guarantee your victory, but will make it possible.”

“What'd you say?” Ryotaro said. “When they  _ fought _ you?” He leaned closer to her again. “ _ Who _ did you say you were again?”

“Yeah, I'm still not too clear on that whole 'we fought you' thing,” Chie said. “When did that happen again?”

“In another thread of existence,” Margaret said. “Forgive me, sometimes I forget how linear things are for you. After your final battle I saw how close you came to death, and I thought that if I had fought you  _ before _ that battle, and helped you train yourselves a little more, you would have had an easier time against Izanami. I went back, and in doing so created a new thread that, ultimately, became no different than this one. As in this thread you almost died against Izanami, though in the end you were triumphant. While I learned a great deal about myself and my purpose, I made little difference in your destinies.”

“Is that the 'errand' you were on?” Taro asked. “Why you were gone the first time I went to the Velvet Room?”

“That was...part of it,” Margaret said. “The rest of it...”

“...sounds like a lot of crazy shit,” Yosuke interrupted. “Is any of this really important? I mean, what – like alternate realities? I'm not even sure I'm clear on who or what you are, and you expect us to believe that stuff too?”

Taro noticed for the first time that the others were staring at Margaret, dumbfounded. He himself was rather confused as well, though he at least had some basis of understanding to accept what she was saying. He remembered that he'd planned to tell them about the Velvet Room, but had been interrupted by Naoto's illness.

“Maybe you should tell them,” Taro said. “About the Velvet Room, about you and Igor, and all that.”

“I – cannot,” Margaret said. “Only those who have entered into a contract may know the Velvet Room. I have – violated certain commandments in even being here, and accompanying you all. It is not a choice I have; I simply cannot do it.”

“Contract?” Rise said. She pulled a card from her pocket, on which was etched the image of Kanzeon. “What do you call this?”

“It's more that simply...”

“I'll tell them,” Taro said. “No need for you to break any more of your rules.” He turned to the others. “Souji-san's the best one to ask about this, but I'll tell you what I know. There's a place, kind of a limbo between worlds, called the 'Velvet Room', where people like Margaret... _ live _ , I guess?” Margaret nodded, and he continued, “Souji-san first went there the year he moved here, before he met all of you, where they told him a little about what was going to happen.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Chie said. “You mean he – he  _ knew _ the murders were gonna happen?”

“No, he did not,” Margaret said. “We could not tell him this.”

“All he knew was that he would have a mystery to solve, and whether or not he solved it might determine humanity's future,” Taro said. “They told him he'd need all of you, too, to help him.”

“And he told you all this,” Yukiko said, her voice flat. “Something he never told any of us in the seven years we've all known him.”

“Well, um, he told me, too,” Rise said. “When he told Taro-kun, I mean. When we came back after beating Nanako-chan's Shadow.”

“Oh yeah,” Nanako said. “I remember hearing some of that now. I was so tired, I though I was kinda stuck in a half-dream and that I was making it all up in my head.”

Yukiko cast a glance at Rise. Her face appeared blank, but Rise was sure she could see some mix of disappointment and jealousy. “Hey, look,” Rise said, “he might not've told me either, if he didn't have to.”

“Well, he kinda liked playing things close to the chest,” Yosuke said. “Guess I always thought there was something he wasn't telling us.”

“Yes,” Naoto said, softly.  _ Maybe they're finally starting to see how manipulative he is. If I stoke these smoldering embers a little more...  _ “Perhaps he didn't believe he could trust us.”

“No way!” Chie said. “I mean...we might've thought he was crazy, right? I know I would've. I'm still thinking she's kinda crazy.” She gestured to Margaret. “No offense.”

“Truly?” Margaret said. “Would not one usually take offense at such a statement?”

“Guys, guys,” Rise said. “We can't fight like this. Listen,  _ I _ trust him, and I know you all do too. We can't start fighting each other, because that's what his Shadow was trying to do to us in the first place.” She turned to Yukiko. “Right? Put us at each other's throats so it could beat us easier?”

“You're – you're right,” Yukiko said. “I'm sorry for my outburst.”

“Yes, so...so am I,” Naoto said. She felt a little disheartened, but the seed of doubt was still there in at least Yukiko's mind, if not any of the others. Yukiko would be a good ally to have against Souji, if needed. She had already proven a good distraction for him.

“All right, this is all fascinating,” Ryotaro said, glancing to his left, “but quite frankly we don't have the time. We have to get moving.”

“But we don't even know how we're gonna fight that thing,” Yosuke said. “We can't just charge headlong into it and throw everything we've got.”

“Why not?” Margaret said.

“Because people could be hurt,” Nanako said. “Every time our Personas do something on that side it's like it's reflected over here.”

“Is that what you believe?” Margaret said. She nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Now I understand the limitations of your ability to perceive the nature of power. The power reflected in this world was not mortal in origin. It came from a god.”

The room went completely silent, only the fan in the corner making any sound at all. Margaret continued, “I had the opportunity to observe your actions in the 'Shadow World' as you call it, and what at first seemed like their effects in this one. They were not symmetrical, nor mirror images of each other. These two worlds are not as closely linked as they appear. The 'effects' here were divine actions, taken to mimic those you were performing in the other world. At first I did not understand why, but now I see. You were meant to believe that you were harming those here by your actions 'over there', so you would fear the full use of your power. It would make you easier to defeat.”

“But – but...who? Who's doing it?” Nanako said.

“Souji's Shadow,” Yosuke said. “That son of a bitch. He knew he couldn't beat us in a fair fight so he cheated.”

“No matter how powerful a Shadow, it could not project such actions across worlds,” Margaret said. “Only a Shadow with enormous strength of will could even  _ cross  _ that barrier.” She turned to Teddie and gave a small smile. “Souji-san's Shadow does not have that. Only now, with Souji-san's power of the Fool, can it do so.”

“Then it's Loki,” Chie said. She flexed her fingers and then clenched them into fists. “Gotta be. Boy, I can't wait to beat the hell outta that blue-faced freak.”

“Hey!” Teddie said. “ _ I'm _ blue-faced.”

“No, you're white-faced,” Chie said.

“It makes sense,” Yukiko said. A god has power in this world, and Izanami was able to create fog here that almost turned all of humanity into Shadows. It might be a simple thing to summon up something that looks like a storm, or a big fireball. Loki had to have done it.” She felt a smile tug at her lips, and fought the urge to let out a sob of relief. It wasn't her fault that Kanji's home was destroyed. She didn't hurt the fox. It was Loki all along.

“Yes,” Margaret said. “That is...a possibility.”

“It's what we're going on,” Taro said. “So we're all agreed. We throw everything we've got at that Shadow, and we beat it from here to hell.”

“And what about Souji?” Yosuke said. “Nanako-chan, didn't you say you felt him there?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “I think, if we can weaken it enough, Big Bro might be able to get back in and push it out.”

“Then let's stop talking about it and go do it,” Rise said, standing. “We're gonna march in there, beat the crap out of that Shadow, and save Souji. Then we're gonna fight Loki and save the world.”

“Sounds familiar,” Yukiko said. She stood. “I'm in.”

“Me too,” Yosuke said as he stood.

“All in?” Nanako said.

They all stood and gave their affirmatives, the fox stretching its back and howling. They didn't need Teddie to tell them she was with them too.

“Then let's move,” Taro said.

They all filed out the front door, and aside from Naoto and Margaret, all were immediately stricken ill. Ryotaro, the last to step outside, grunted. “Whoa, it's like I drank way too...” As he realized what he was saying he stopped and cleared his throat. He tossed the car keys to Naoto. “Shirogane, it's all yours.” Naoto caught the keys and then beeped the remote, unlocking the doors.

“Everyone choose a lap partner,” she said. After a heartbeat, “That – didn't quite sound like I meant it.”

“Just get in,” Yukiko said, making a beeline toward the car. “Need to – sit down.”

Within moments the car was packed. Ryotaro sat in the front with Nanako in his lap. Chie sat on Yosuke in the seat behind Naoto, Taro and Margaret shared the one behind Ryotaro, and Yukiko and Rise managed to squeeze side-by side in between the two pairs. Teddie, much to his chagrin, was relegated to lying down in the tailgate with the fox. He whined about not being able to sit in anyone's lap, though the extra space allowed him to start sliding into his “mascot” outfit.

As soon as Naoto had the car rolling down the street Nanako said, “Stop with the bumps! I feel like I'm gonna be sick.”

“There weren't any bumps...”

“Me too,” Yosuke interrupted.

“You...better not!” Chie said, but then grunted as her own stomach started to churn.

“Distance,” Taro said, his eyes screwed shut. He took deep breaths. “Further we get...it's distance. Distance...distance...distance...”

“Go faster,” Ryotaro said, covering his eyes with one hand. “Use the lights and siren. On the dash, there.” He pointed blindly to the controls on the dashboard.

“All right,” Naoto said. She flipped on the flashing lights, and then the siren. The high-low siren ripped through the roof of the SUV as if it were paper.

“No, turn it off!” Rise cried. “My head's splitting!”

Naoto quickly switched off the siren. “Hold on, everyone.” She pressed down on the gas and swerved as she rounded the corner, eliciting a cry from everyone. The traffic was light in this part of town, though she knew it would get worse the closer they got to Junes. She held a finger on a dashboard button marked “whoop”, sending a short, shrill burst from the siren whenever they neared another car. Nearly everyone in the car grunted or cried out when she pressed it, but she decided an accident would be far worse.

_ Would I be thinking that if I still had my migraine? _ she thought. In truth, she felt great. Her head was completely clear, and she felt more focused than she had in some time. It was as if she had the euphoria that came at the end of a migraine without the lethargy or muddy-headedness. She wished she could hold onto this feeling forever. Was that what came from driving a police car, speeding with lights and sirens blaring? Should she have enlisted as a police officer, rather than a freelance detective?

“Just go, go, go,” Ryotaro said. “Keep doing the sirens if you got to.”

She was driving as quickly as she felt she could do safely, swerving around traffic that was, for the most part, clearing out of her way as soon as she activated the sirens. “We're almost there, everyone,” Naoto said. “Just hold on a little longer.”

“Trying,” Yukiko said. She felt a hand grip hers and looked over. Rise had taken her hand and, through squinted eyes, was looking at her.

Rise had only taken Yukiko's hand because it was there, and she needed to grip something to keep herself focused away from the intense, unsettling pain and the swirling in her gut. She saw Yukiko look back, and for a moment, felt a connection of friendship again, even brought on by their shared misery. Her mind felt like molten lead, and even as she'd been trying to picture Souji to help reduce the pain, it had stopped working at about the third whoop of the overhead siren. Now, looking into Yukiko's eyes, seeing her pain, she at least imagined she could sense the deeper pain over Souji. _I don't want to be your rival_ , she thought. _I want to be your friend._ _But I still love him. I can't deny it. How can we get through this without one of us hating the other?_

“Just hold on, Rise-chan,” Yukiko said. “A little longer.”

“A little longer,” Rise said. “Yeah...yeah...” She forced a smile, and felt a little relief when Yukiko returned it.

Naoto had to slam on her brakes to avoid hitting a car that pulled out in front of her, despite her flashing lights and sirens, throwing everyone forward in their seats. It was a miracle that nobody's stomachs emptied themselves. “Sorry,” she said. She laid onto the horn and flashed her headlights, and a moment later the driver ahead of her apparently woke up and pulled to the side. She laid on the gas and shot past the car.

After the next street they reached the Junes parking lot. Naoto had to slow down to manage the turn without rolling the top-heavy SUV, but leaned on the siren as she sped as quickly as she could down the main aisle leading straight to the front door. She dodged a small construction area that had been cordoned off, a spot she knew was damaged in the “storm”, turned right, and stopped at the curb in front of a sign marked:

FIRE LANE   
NO PARKING   
OR STANDING

“We're here, everyone,” she said, putting the transmission into Park and setting the emergency brake. She killed the engine and stepped out.

Ryotaro managed to open his door and helped Nanako get out. She leaned against the open door for a moment, and then helped him out. Her head was swimming, and when she tried to look at Junes, which had once been her favorite place in the world, she felt the unease increase just a little. Through there was going to be a great battle. One they might not survive. And yet they had to, for Souji, and for the world. She had to keep her wits about her, no matter what kind of sickness the Shadow had inflicted upon her.

“Every day's...great at...your Junes,” she whispered. “Every day's great...at your Junes.” She repeated the jingle over and over, trying to replay it in her head. The more she said it, the calmer she began to feel.

Naoto helped Yosuke and Chie out of the car. Both of them seemed to have difficulty standing, but she kept them on their feet. “Just hold on a few more minutes,” Naoto said. “You'll be all right once we cross over.”

“Hope so,” Chie said.

“Y-ya...” Yosuke started, but then turned around and leaned down, vomiting on the SUV's rear wheel.

At the sight and sound of that, Chie's stomach finally gave in and she leaned forward, Naoto barely managing to get out of the way before Chie's own digestive system let loose. A few shoppers who had been walking by ran away almost immediately.

“Out out out!” Rise said, practically flying out of the car and getting clear to take care of her own businesses. She leaned against the store's outer wall, but upon touching it she felt her nausea dissipate. She took a few deep breaths and opened her eyes. She looked up at the sign, not readable from where she was standing, and chuckled. “Good ol' Junes.”

Naoto looked in at Yukiko, still sitting in the center seat with eyes closed. She was whispering to herself, her voice barely audible. She opened her eyes and saw Naoto watching her. “I'm...okay...” she said, sliding toward the door. “I can...can hold it...”

Taro had already opened his door and let Margaret out. She helped him out, moving him more gently than he expected, though the motions still felt quicker and violent than they should have been. His vision was distorted and she seemed to be standing much further away than was possible, given she was less than an arm's length away.

“Can you stand?” she said.

“Yeah,” Taro said. “Glad I didn't let them talk me into eating.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward Chie and Yosuke.

As Naoto helped Yosuke right himself once his bout was done, someone said, “Uh, excuse me, are you folks all right?”

Naoto turned to see a police officer approaching, his blue uniform almost black in this colorless world. “Y-yes, we're fine. They all, um, ate some bad sushi. We're – here to complain to the management.”

“You sure you wanna be here?” the officer said. “Maybe you should be at the hospital.”

“They're...with me,” Ryotaro said, coming from around the car and flashing his badge.

“Oh, Lieutenant!” the officer said. “I didn't see you. Uh, you don't look so good.”

“We'll be fine,” Ryotaro said.

“You, uh, know you can't park here, right?” the officer said.

“What's your name, son?” Ryotaro said.

“Uh, O-Omura, sir.”

“Shirogane, give him the keys. Go on and drive it back to the station, for me, then.”

“Uh...um...well, how long will you be here?”

“Not long,” Naoto said.

“Hey, let me outta here! I'm gonna puke!” Naoto turned to see Teddie, now fully dressed in his bear outfit, rolling helplessly in the back. She ran around back, opened the tailgate, and pulled him out. As soon as his feet his the pavement he popped off the head of his costume and leaned over.

She sighed, and reached in for the fox. The fox cowered away from her, and then leapt over the seat and out the side door by Yukiko and Chie. Naoto shook her head, shut the tailgate, and went back to the officer.

“All right, but just don't leave it here too long, sir,” the officer said. “This is a fire lane.”

“Thanks, I can read,” Ryotaro said. Nanako squeezed his hand and he looked down. She nodded.

“Hope you all feel better,” the officer said. “And I'll, uh make a personal note not to buy Junes's sushi.”

It took a minute for them to gather themselves. They then made their way through the main doors, Yosuke and Chie supporting each other, Margaret holding Taro's hand, and Ryotaro practically carrying Nanako. Once they crossed the threshold, though, everyone immediately began to feel a little better. Before they could express it, though, they were met by the greeter. “Hi, and welcome to your...Hanamura-san? You back today? Thought you were on vacation or something.”

Yosuke sighed his eyes half-open and bloodshot. “Don't I look like I'm on vacation?”

“What're you doing here? You look like you oughta be in bed.”

“Yeah, I oughta,” Yosuke said. “Gonna get some stomach medicine.”

“Okay...” the greeter said, his voice drawn out in skepticism as his eyes passed over the rest of the group. “Better get a case of...don't I know you?” Rise looked up to see that the employee was staring at her. “Yeah,” he said. “You look just like Risette from that movie last year. The one about that killer flu? 'Cept for the hair, I mean.”

_ Great, _ Rise thought.  _ The first time someone recognizes me and it's because I look like I'm dying. _ “I – get that a lot,” she said, trying to disguise her voice which wasn't all that difficult, given the fact that her throat was burning from the stomach acid that had almost forced its way out.

“Oh, well, anyway, w-welcome to your Junes, everyone,” the greeter said, keeping his distance from them.

Naoto took the lead, keeping an eye out for anyone who might cause trouble for them, even though she wasn't sure who that might be. The store was far less crowded than Naoto expected, despite it being a Thursday morning. She realized that it might have been due to the exodus of some of the residents after the Shrine fire the night before. One too many strange occurrences, and they all decided to take a late-spring vacation somewhere that didn't have fire and lightning appearing out of nowhere. At least the store itself appeared to have recovered well from the “storm” damage.

The further they ventured into the store, the better everyone seemed to feel. There was still no color to be seen, but there definitely was a different feel to it. Naoto felt a slight twinge in the back of her head. She half expected her migraine to return, though for now her head was only reminding her it was there.

As she rounded a corner, leading the team into Electronics, she thought,  _ Maybe I should stop at the pharm... _ She stopped cold. Standing before them, his hands at his waist, was the last person she expected to see. “K-Kanji-kun? What are you doing here?”   
Kanji nodded. “Good to see you too, I guess.”

“Kanji-kun?” Yukiko said. She stepped forward, but he held up a hand and she stopped. “How – how are you?”

“How do ya think?” he said, the words sounding a little harsh. He shook his head. “I, uh, did a lot of thinkin' last night. Couldn't sleep much. 'Course, I ain't got a home now, so that's kinda on my mind. Ya know, you guys look like crap.” Once the others came into view he scanned them all. “You okay?”

“We're just great,” Yosuke said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Huh. Well, anyway, I kept thinkin' about the stuff you guys were saying. Maybe I was just tired, maybe I had one too many beers, but it just all started making sense. Weird, though. Still weird, really, but things just kinda started flashing back. Like, I thought I knew some of you before. I mean, I know you, Togashi-san, but the rest of you – it was kinda like a dream I had a long time ago, and it just started coming back to me.”

“Well, that's good,” Rise said, clearing her throat, “'cause we can help bring it back the rest...”

“No!” Naoto hissed, jumping in front of her.

“Naoto-kun, what are you...?”

“Not now, not yet,” she said. “We have to get this over with first.” She looked over the others. “You don't look like you'll last much longer.”

“So anyway,” Kanji said, as if they hadn't spoken, though he kept a curious eye on Naoto, “then I get a feeling, like there's somethin' special I can do. Somethin' I  _ need  _ to do. So I go up to a TV and do this.” He stepped up to the closest television set and reached out. As his fingertips touched the screen it began to ripple like water. He pressed further, and his entire hand disappeared. “Now that ain't just some weird cult thing. So I got thinkin' there's more to this whole thing, and then I thought I needed to be right here, right now. Don't know why, I just knew it.”

“That's great,” Yukiko said, panting, “but can we talk about this later? Not – not feeling so well.”

Nanako drew in a breath and collapsed against her father.

“Nanako!” Ryotaro said, lowering her gently to the floor despite the sharp cramp that clenched his stomach. “Come on, just a little further.”

“No, not that – it's..it's...” Her leg felt like it was burning. She looked down and saw that a rectangle was glowing through her jeans pocket.

“What the hell's that?” Yosuke said.

Nanako pulled it out. It was her Persona card, and it felt hot to the touch, almost burning her.  _ Burning...burning...to get out... _

She touched it to her forehead. “Per...” She swallowed as the contents of her stomach tried to come up again. “Persona.”

“What are you trying to...?”

They all stopped when she flashed white, and Seraph appeared above her. Kanji cried out and jumped away. The others simply stared.

Immediately Nanako's head cleared, the illness of the gray world gone completely. She stood. “Oh wow. I – I feel... _ great _ !”

“No – no way...” Kanji said. He backed away a few more steps before collapsing to the floor. “Persona...Per-Per...sona...” He took several deep breaths, and after the last one his head snapped back. Black smoke started trickling out his mouth, ears, nose, and eyes....and then stopped. He coughed a few times and then rolled onto his hands and knees. Naoto was immediately at his side, helping him up. “What...what the hell was that?”

“Part of the long story,” Naoto said.

He looked up at her. “Naoto-chan?”

Naoto's mouth fell open. “You – do you remember...me?”

Kanji stared for a moment, but then shook his head. “I know you...but I don't  _ remember _ . What the hell's going on here?”

Rise knelt down beside Naoto. “His Memflies – it looked like some of them got out, but a lot of them are still in there.”

“Memflies?” Kanji asked. “Didn't you guys say...hey, wait a minute. You're Risette, aren't you?” She smiled. “How do I know you? And what's with the hair?”

“Wait, hold on,” Chie said, staring up at Seraph. “If she can do it...” She pulled her card out, flipped it in the air, and tried to strike it with a kick. “Persona!”

The card brushed off the toe of her boot and flipped a couple times in the air before settling into a nearby clothing rack, becoming caught in between some Hawaiian shirts marked for clearance. “What? How come Nanako-chan's works but mine doesn't?” Chie said, rushing over to retrieve the card with Suzuka Gongen on its face.

“How's...how's that possible?” Yukiko said.

“I don't know,” Nanako said. She looked around. “I can see all the color again. All the people, too. They're all normal again. Everything's still here, just...hidden. Behind something.”

“Like fog?” Taro said. “Like before?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Nanako said. She turned to Ryotaro, and gasped. Standing next to him was a woman whose face she didn't remember having seen in person, but whose features she'd memorized from the few photos left of her. Only vague memories from her infancy reflected the woman standing there, wrapped in a kimono and suddenly looking very surprised. “M-mom?”

Ryotaro snapped his head to the right, and Nanako could see he was turning to look at the woman. Her mother. She'd seen him do that a lot lately, turning to one side or the other while talking. He'd been turning – to look at her mother? Had she always been there?

The woman glanced to Ryotaro, and then vanished. “No, wait!” Nanako shouted, running toward her. Ryotaro stepped aside out of instinct. “No, come back!” She spun around, searching everywhere for the woman. “No, please!” She intensified her focus, forcing Seraph to scan every centimeter around them, hoping for the briefest glimpse of the woman. Of her mother, Chisato Dojima.

How could he have hidden that from her? Of course, it all made sense now. How her father had known so much about what was happening, and why his memories weren't gone. Everything her father knew had been told to him by her mother. Her  _ dead _ mother. The  _ ghost _ of her dead mother. She poured every ounce of her strength into Seraph's second sight. “Mom! I – I saw you! Come back, please!”

“Nanako-chan!” Rise said, rushing to her side. An intense heat began radiating from the girl, and the air was beginning to glow bright white. Rise tried to touch her, but had to back away for fear of burning herself on the intensity of Nanako's aura.

“What the hell?” Kanji said, still sitting on the floor. “Wait – she's Nanako-chan, right? When'd she get a Persona? The hell's she doing?” He pushed away slowly, and Naoto positioned herself in front of him, trying to shield him from whatever was happening. She wasn't quite sure, but seeing this kind of power from Nanako worried her greatly. Was she more than just another Persona-user?

“Nanako-chan, don't! You'll burn up!” That was Yukiko's voice, she was pretty sure, but she didn't care. She wanted to see her mother. She wanted to talk to her mother. Why had her father hidden it from her? Why? Why?

“Nanako please! You've got to stop it! Augh!”

She felt hands touch her arms, but pull away immediately. Her vision was overtaken by the bright white surrounding her, and soon she could see nothing but the white. No, it had to be beyond there. Her mother was there, she just had to look harder. A little more... a little more...

As if a switch were flipped inside her, she felt everything give way at once. Her sight, her hearing, her control over her limbs. She fell to the floor limply, and Seraph vanished.

The floor was cold, and she felt pain wash through her head. After a few seconds she felt herself lifted into a warm embrace. The smell of aftershave and stale cigarette smoke told her immediately who it was, even though her vision was only just starting to return.

“Nanako, what did you do?” Ryotaro said. Her ears felt full of liquid, and she could barely tell it was her father speaking. “It – it burned when I touched you.”

“Nana-chan...” She felt a second set of hands on her, fuzzy and warm.

“Da-daddy,” Nanako said. “Why? Why didn't...didn't you tell...me? Mom...she was...was there. The whole time.”

“Yes,” Ryotaro said. “She was.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“She asked me not to,” Ryotaro said.

“But  _ why _ ?”

“She said you wouldn't be...wouldn't be able to do what you had to do if you knew.”

“Do what?” Chie said, now standing at his side. “Sir, I think you owe her an explanation.”

“And us, too,” Rise said.

Nanako's eyes drifted closed.  _ So tired. So tired... _

_ He's waiting for you...Little Sis...please...please don't come back... _

Her eyes snapped open, and she turned her head to Yosuke. For a split second she saw a form standing beside him, facing the opposite direction. Then, it was gone. And yet, the feeling she was getting... “It's him.” She pointed to Yosuke. “There. Now.”

“W-what?” Yosuke said, jumping aside. “Me?”

“Him who?” Yukiko said. “You mean, Souji? Or – or the Shadow?”

“Yeah,” Nanako said. “The Shadow. He's...right on the other side. Waiting for us.”

“Great,” Chie said. “So he's gonna ambush us as soon as we cross over.” She started stretching her legs, and at the same time checked her gun. “Well, better to get it over with.”

“But if we fight him here, Loki might still destroy this place,” Rise said, turning to Margaret. “Right? And all these people will...will...”

Taro glanced over at the wall toward a fire pull. “How about that?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yosuke said. “That'd do it.” He walked over, grabbed the lever, and yanked outward.

The white handle gave easily, and immediately a high-low repeating tone began to blare throughout the store. A voice from the overhead speakers said, “ _ Attention all Junes guests. An emergency has been declared. Please leave the building through the nearest exit. Attention all Junes guests. An emergency has been declared...” _

Yosuke glanced up at the security camera, aimed past him toward the far end of the department. “I'm  _ so _ getting fired for that,” Yosuke said, just barely making himself heard over the sirens.

“Fired?” Teddie said. “Fired – for a fire alarm? It's too bad you don't have a tickle alarm!”

Nobody spoke for a few seconds, and then Margaret laughed. “A tickle alarm!” she said, snickering. “Such a thing actually exists?”

After a moment, nearly everyone else joined her in laughter. “Tickle alarm,” Rise said, shaking her head even as she giggled. It had been such an intense few days, they needed some laughter. It was such a relief to do so, even if just for a moment, before they once again had to face what may well be their deaths. The laughter also helped relieve a little more of the illness.

“That's our Teddie,” Yosuke said, slapping him on the shoulder.

“What's with that bear?” Kanji muttered to Naoto as she helped him to his feet. “Uh, Teddie, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” Naoto said, trying to suppress a chuckle. “I – don't really know.”

Nanako found the joke funny, but was far from being in the mood to laugh. She wanted to get this over with. She wanted to beat this Shadow, and save her Big Bro.

She wanted to see her mother again. “Guys, the longer we wait...”

“Right,” Taro said, clearing his throat. “Everyone, let's go.”

“What about that?” Ryotaro said, pointing to the security camera.

“I'll – figure something out,” Yosuke said. “If I've still got a job later.”

“It'll be fine, Yosuke,” Chie said, taking his arm. “C'mon.”

Despite Ryotaro's protests Nanako was the first through the nearest TV. He pressed his hand on the screen, but unlike for Nanako, it didn't allow him through. “Uh, how – how do I...”

Taro placed a hand on Ryotaro's shoulder, and immediately his hand went through just as it had for Nanako. He turned to Taro. “Thanks,” he said, and then was gone.

As the others filed through, Kanji tugged Naoto's arm and said, “Why're we going in, anyway?”

“To save someone,” Naoto said. “Like before. Do you remember?”

“I – I think I do.”

“You should stay here. You're – probably not in any condition to fight.”

Kanji looked down at his waist, reached into a pocket, and pulled out a card. “Didn't – even know I had this.” He examined it. “My – Persona? Means I can fight, right? Help you guys fight that – Shadow thing you were talking about?”

Naoto glanced at the TV. She could hear voices echoing from beyond it, though with the blaring fire sirens she couldn't make out any words. The fighting was probably about to begin. “I won't convince you to stay behind, will I?”

“Nope. I wanna be part of this, figure it all out.”

“Then let's go together,” Naoto said. “Stay by me. I'll make sure nothing happens to you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Nanako stepped out of the screen she felt slightly disoriented. Aside from the fact that this world was laid out in reverse, and the lack of screaming sirens, there was nothing else to distinguish that she'd actually gone anywhere.

Except one other thing. A figure standing before her, arms crossed, and a sickening grin drawn across its face. “Well it took you long enough. Thought I'd be waiting all day to kill you.”


	16. Shadow And Simulacra

Pieces of him had watched events unfold, slowly. This world, the world of Shadows, was slowly bleeding into the real one, an opened vein channeling an infinite supply of lifeblood, never clotting, spilling itself into every open space there was. And with the bits of this world, so spilled the bits of himself that were caught up in it, flies in eternally-flowing amber. Only the sheer newness of it had given him the strength to focus his thoughts, trying to find some way,  _ any _ way, to pull himself back together.

He had already lost hope of living again. There was nothing he could fathom, in his limited capacity for rational thought, that could be done to bring him back together again. He supposed he would disperse, eventually losing himself completely to...whatever came after life. Dying slowly didn't hurt like he thought it would. When he wasn't fighting a flood of disassociated thoughts, it was actually somewhat peaceful.

And then that peace was disturbed. Wherever he was he couldn't be sure, but  _ they _ were there. He couldn't...couldn't tell where they came from. They weren't there, and then they  _ were _ . One by one they appeared. They were safe. He'd gotten them out, gotten them away from –  _ it  _ – but never knew what happened to them.

He had to talk to them. Had to let them know he was...okay? Was he? Of course not. But at least that he was there. Maybe they would think he was all right, and they could move on. It was the only thing that would really bring him peace. He immediately tried to contact them, pouring every bit of energy he could muster into getting through to them, tried to focus everything into one phrase:

_ I'm here with you. _

“Did you hear that?” It was Nanako, bless her so much. The sudden relief robbed him of his focus, though, and he could not put together a reply. He could however, see and hear that nobody else had picked it up. Nobody knew...nobody would...

He wanted to say more, tried his best to put the thoughts together into coherent words...but yet they all...something else was happening to them, and it further distracted him. They were getting sick. Somehow, he felt it.

Sick from...what? At first he wondered if it was his doing, a dim curiosity like the kind one holds in a deep dream where you watch yourself from both inside and out at the same time, doing things you never thought you'd do, but never able to control yourself, unable to rise above the cacophony of disjointed thoughts.

No, there was something else. His noncorporeal form had all senses in every part of himself at once, and this he could taste around them. It tasted of sulfur and salt, familiar in its putrescence. His Shadow? Maybe. He felt his thoughts pulling apart the more he tried to think on it.

And then they were gone. Gone into a place he couldn't see or feel them. The house...they went into a house...something about the house...

He wasn't sure how much time passed. The voices, the disjointed memories he'd managed to hold back returned in full force.  _ Do I really want to study overseas...will you please beat the shit out of me, Kanji...that's not what you said when I told you the report...I wanna watch Featherman...welcome home Big Bro...this charm will protect you in my place...then we'll always be together...we can't be together anymore...thou hast established a genuine bond... _

He wanted to shout out, but even that was gone to him. Losing more and more of himself, all he could do was drift through the fissure between worlds, squeezing through almost like noodles through a press...

And then they were back. They were sick again, but the relief of their return helped him to shut away the mixture of thoughts that had been tugging his sanity in all directions. They piled into...it was a car, he was sure of it. As the did so, he realized for the first time that there were more of them than before. A tall woman, light-colored hair... _ why do I know her? _

A blue-haired boy _...no, a woman...she's got boobs... _

A tall man... _ Ryotaro-san...I told you to stay out of this... _

An...animal?

They filled the car and it sped away. Despite the fact it was still painfully slow from his point of view, he found it harder and harder to focus and every time he noticed the car again it had gone further and further away.

Further...

Closer...

...a big book...

...to a big building...with lots of cars in front...

...a blue butterfly...

...a store...

...god of stores...god of storms...

...Junes...

...goddess of love...

...Junes...

...goddess of sun...

...Junes!

The shock of realization snapped his mind back into one place, if only for a heartbeat. They were coming back. They were coming for him.  _ No...no...please no...  _ They were coming back. They were coming for him and they were coming back. He tried to save them and they were coming back. It was going to kill them and they were coming back.

He used what little focus he had left to scream out, hoping it would cut through the noise in what would have once been his head. Nothing...they didn't hear...

Nanako fell, her father catching her. He thought for a fleeting moment that his cry had hurt her, but then saw her slowly pull a card from her pocket. Was she saying something? She raised the card up, touched it to her forehead.

A figure in white burst forth form her body.  _ I know that...it's called...Persona...her Persona...  _ and yet he was dimly aware they hadn't yet crossed over. Was that important? He tried to examine the white-draped figure, but a wave of noise and of white washed over him and sent him reeling.

He had no frame of reference for how long it took for him to regain himself, but once he had, Nanako was lying down.  _ Hurt...she's...hurt... _

_ So tired. So tired... _

Those weren't his thoughts. It was her voice. Her thoughts. Her thoughts  _ now _ . Not a memory. He heard... _ her _ thoughts. Could it go both ways?

_ He's waiting for you...Little Sis...please...please don't come back... _

And then suddenly...had time jumped? They were all standing before a...

...a thing that they used to go between worlds. Big, flat thing. He couldn't think of the word for it.

Nanako was closest. Before he could even try to make himself understand what that meant, she stepped into it and was gone. Somewhere, another part of him saw her emerge on the flip side. He was only slightly aware of it, the feeling akin to a spider crawling on the sole of his foot.

Understanding came to him too late.  _ No...no...you can't beat him...get out while you can...you can't solve this one without a Laplace transform...two plus two equals...Nanako run...grilled steak, local delicacy... _

Another pushed through. And another.  _ No, everyone's coming...I'm hungry...who needs air conditioning on a day like this...Margaret?...I will relieve your emptiness...that name's too hard to say, how about I just call you Charlie Tuna...everybody knows everybody and nobody knows you... _

They were gone. He had to find them, had to figure out which part of him was on the other side, try to focus on it.

He had to find them or they would die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Nanako had expected, Shadow Souji was on the other side waiting for them, his arms crossed and face a mask of smugness that, until the day before, she'd never even imagined seeing on her Big Bro's face. He was still sporting Souji's polo shirt and jeans, and in another new, yet trivial development, he had a day's growth of patchy stubble on his face. It surprised her to see her Big Bro looking so adult, and the sight frightened her.  _ This isn't Big Bro _ , she reminded herself.  _ This is the son of a bitch that took him away. _

She was tired, having spent so much of her energy on calling Seraph back in the real world, but her contempt for the half-being before her was enough to stoke her bravado. Its flames overtook the cold fear, and she clenched her fists in front of her. “Don't be so cocky, 'cause we're gonna kick your ass this time!”

The Shadow's smile fell. “You know, I thought you'd be more surprised to see me. You must be too exhausted for surprise, though. Looks like you can barely stand.”

“I knew you were here the whole time,” Nanako said, throwing on her best “I'm confident” grin. From the Shadow's raised eyebrow, she guessed she'd failed miserably.

“Not as if I need the element of surprise against you,” it said.

“This time we're ready for you,” Nanako said, ignoring his taunt. “We're gonna beat you.”

“What do you have this time you didn't before?  _ Him _ ?” It gestured with its chin over Nanako's head and she turned around. Her father was standing behind her, staring at the Shadow. He tried to step in front of her, shielding her with his arm, but she pushed it away and stepped back in front of him.

“Dad, keep back,” Nanako said. “This is our fight.”

Shadow Souji put its hands to its hips. “Yes, Dad, by all means keep back. Wouldn't want to get in the way of me killing your daughter, would you?”

Nanako snapped her head back to the Shadow, but before she could retort Ryotaro said, “Souji? That...that can't be....those...eyes...”

“That isn't him.” Taro, who had followed him through, immediately pulled him back and took his place at Nanako's side. “That thing...there's a piece of him in there, but the part that matters is...somewhere else.”

“I always thought it was the  _ power  _ that mattered,” the Shadow said, spreading its arms. “It's all right here. So, want me to pick you off one by one, or...”

“How about you go stick your tongue in a light socket!” The Shadow's eyes were drawn to Teddie. And Yosuke. Chie. Yukiko...and Margaret. “I'm feeling beary much better now, and I'm gonna claw your face off!”

Shadow Souji laughed with genuine mirth. “When'd you grow a pair, you empty excuse for a Shadow?” It pointed at Margaret. “She give it to you?”

“Don't you talk to him like that!” Yosuke shouted, leaping forward and standing ready with Nanako and Taro.

“Yeah!” Chie joined him at the front line, hopping from one foot to the other in her own battle “stance”. Yukiko was beside her a second later, but said nothing.

The Shadow rolled his eyes. “So you brought the whole...oh,  _ now _ I see.”It glanced behind them, and then tilted its head back in a theatrical nod. “You brought  _ her _ along. She actually survived, huh?”

“Who?” Nanako said, turning around and following its line of sight. Margaret was standing there, her ever-present book now open in her hand. Yellow eyes met yellow eyes as Margaret stared down the Shadow.

“Hello, Souji-san,” she said. “As promised, I am here. I will save your soul from isolation, whatever I must do.”

“I like my isolation just fine, thanks,” the Shadow said.

“I wasn't speaking to you,” Margaret said. “All the power you wield, and yet you are still nothing but a Shadow of the true Souji. You could never enter the Velvet Room. You could never touch Souji's true power because you are not truly him. You are a puppet, just as you made Souji-san yours.”

The Shadow glared at her, all amusement completely gone. “I'm Souji  _ now _ ,” the Shadow said, the last word a shout so loud it made their ears ring. “Might as well get used to it.” He glared at Margaret. “ _ All _ of you.”

“No way,” Rise said. She stepped from behind the battle line, keeping her distance form the Shadow until she reached the point where the low ceiling ended. “Persona!” She scanned him, though she knew exactly what she'd find. It did little to ease her fear, but she had to give the team something. Had to give them hope, even if she believed was hopeless. “Guys, he's – he's no more powerful than he was before. We can...we can do this.”

Naoto and Kanji emerged together to see the team already facing off against Souji's Shadow. The first thing Naoto heard was Rise's assessment, and the tremble in the voice speaking it.  _ Not too late, _ she thought.  _ It hasn't started... _ “Kanji,” she whispered, “I know you wanted to help but you have to stay back. You're not ready for this.”

Kanji was staring at the Shadow, and she wasn't even sure he'd heard her. “Why...why do I know...who is that guy?”

“Pure evil,” Naoto said. “That's all you need to know. You should go back. Please...”

“Souji...kun,” Kanji said. “Yeah, that's...Senpai. What's he doin'? And what's with the eyes?”

“It's not...really him,” Naoto said. “It's his Shadow. Do you remember the Shadows?”

Shadow Souji seemed to have not paid them any attention, instead keeping its attention on Margaret. “I only let you see what I wanted to you see. Remember, I'm a  _ god  _ here. So you brought along the idiot cop, that mangy fox, and Margaret. So what?”

“W-what'd you call me?” Ryotaro said. He tried to step forward again, but Nanako and Taro blocked him.

“Don't let him provoke you,” Taro said.

“Dad, don't,” Nanako said. “You can't protect me here. Here it's  _ my _ job to protect  _ you _ .”

“Yes, it'd be a shame if – I don't know, his  _ Shadow _ were to show up!” Shadow Souji snapped his fingers.

The team readied themselves, each reaching for their Persona cards...

Nothing happened.

Shadow Souji looked left and right, and then turned fully around. It cleared its throat. “Well, that's awkward. Guess your inner self's still as half-baked as you are as a father.”

Ryotaro reeled as if he'd been struck, hearing those hurtful words being spoken with that voice. “What did you just say to me?”

“Enough!” Yukiko said. “We're here to take you out and save Souji!”

“Save Souji,” the Shadow said in a nasal, inaccurate imitation of Yukiko's voice. “Take me out. You and what army, may I ask? The cop? No. Kanji, over there? Hi, by the way.” He waved, and then snorted when Naoto stepped in front of the blankly-staring Kanji, shielding him from the yellow gaze. “Nah, he doesn't know what the hell's going on. Margaret?” She had filled the empty space at the end of the formation by Yukiko. He looked her up and down, and then grinned. “You know, you might just give Rise and Yukiko a run for their money, with those legs of yours. Nice to see you, by the way. Don't think I said that yet. Souji would've been so happy to finally see you. Maybe in more ways than one.” He wiggled an eyebrow.

“Your attempts to anger me won't succeed,” Margaret said. “I am far more powerful than you can imagine. This world hasn't seen just what I'm capable of, but you will now. You are a falsehood, an echo of a great human. Your words are no less empty than you are, or the god you serve.”

Shadow Souji rolled his eyes, but they were immediately drawn to the floor at Rise's feet. “So, Oinari. I'm genuinely surprised to see you  _ walking _ again. Crawled out of the heavens, if I remember correctly, whimpering and smoldering. Few extra scars to add to the collection. From what I heard, you were baked to a crisp.” It took the team a moment to realize he was speaking to the fox, crouched at Rise's feet, baring its teeth at the Shadow. “You really  _ didn't  _ learn your lesson after all, did you?”

“Oi...nari?” Yukiko said. She turned to the fox. “Are – is that your name? Or...?”

“There's more to that fox than any of you idiots thought. Did you really think a regular old fox'd have healing powers like she does?” Shadow Souji said, scoffing. “Actually, you probably did, since my  _ other _ self did. For a supposed 'Investigation Team', you people sure like to take things at face value.”

“You did this to her?” Rise said. “How could you, after all she did to help you?”

Shadow Souji shook its head. “Oh, please. Besides, I didn't do that. It was...well, you don't really need to know about that. It won't matter in a few minutes anyway.”

The fox yelped and then growled. It reared back as if to strike, but then shot across the front of the team toward Nanako. Shadow Souji flicked a finger just as the fox reached Nanako and sent it flying between her and Yosuke, into the far wall. It struck with a sickening *snap-thud* that made almost everyone cry out.

Nanako did not look back to see it, nor did she hear the crunching of bone and flesh against wood. She'd felt something brush against her leg the instant before it happened. It felt prickly, warm, almost itchy. And then she felt more alert... _ stronger _ . Her fatigue vanished completely, replaced with focus. Determination.  _ Is this...the fox's power? “Oinari?” _

“Hey!” Chie shouted, tossing her Persona card before her and smashing it with a roundhouse kick. Suzuka Gongen appeared and called forth a giant fist from above. It brushed against a light fixture and slammed down onto Shadow Souji's head. There was a flash and burst of smoke into which the fist disappeared. When it had cleared, they could see the Shadow still standing, its arms crossed and its eyes half closed as if in boredom. Not a single hair was ruffled.

It shook its head. “Oh come on. You're going to get so worked up over a pathetic has-been like her? There's barely enough left anymore to even classify as a zephyr.”

Rise sensed something from behind the group and noticed that the fox had gotten back to its feet. It limped, its head lolling but its remaining eye still alert, toward her, dragging a rear leg as it struggled toward her.  _ She's still...c'mon, just a little closer and I can protect you... _

Shadow Souji flicked a finger again, but this time Naoto jumped in front of the fox and summoned Yamato-Takeru just in time to absorb the blow. Naoto felt her Persona shudder under the sheer force of it and realized that, had the Shadow intended to send  _ her _ flying, it could have easily done so.  _ If there's any kind of god out there sympathetic to us, _ she thought,  _ please help us now. _

The Shadow tilted its head. “ _ You're _ defending it?  _ You? _ Just what are you playing at?”

That phrase had been said to her at least twice in the past few days, and at least once in the same voice that was asking now. “Beating you. That's what I'm 'playing'.”

The fox made it into Rise's sphere of protection, taking refuge behind her. It finally let out a whine as its remaining legs quivered and gave out.  _ That took the last bit of strength she had _ , Rise thought. Oinari – the god of fertility, good fortune...was that her  _ name _ ? But what did it mean? Did it mean  _ anything _ ?

The Shadow turned its attention to the fox. “Stop wasting your energy on that  _ thing _ . Just let me finish what my master started, then I'll send the rest of you to meet Yamano and Konishi...”

“No you won't! Persona!” Lucifer appeared above Taro, striking the Shadow with a massive Bufudyne and encasing it in solid ice. Taro stumbled, the strain of summoning such a powerful Persona something he hadn't expected.

“Holy shit!” Yosuke said, grabbing his arm and helping steady him. “That was...one of  _ his _ Personas, wasn't it?”

“I've given him full access to Souji-san's Compendium,” Margaret said, poking a long-nailed finger into the book. “A collection of every Persona he ever used.”

“ _ Every _ Persona?” came the Shadow's voice through the ice. The ice block was cracking, and they could see Shadow Souji flexing his arms within. Margaret summoned her own Lucifer, blasting Shadow Souji with a second round of Bufudyne, but this one ricocheted off, reflecting directly back at her. Chie tackled her and the ice blast flew just over their heads, dispersing as it struck the television set behind them.

The ice block surrounding the Shadow shattered, pelting them all with razor-sharp shards of ice. Nanako summoned Seraph and was able to deflect most of the shards, but several of them suffered cuts to their skin and clothing. Yukiko shrieked as she was knocked to the ground, a larger chunk of ice stuck in her forearm, which she had used to shield her face. Chie and Naoto immediately helped her to her feet and Chie pulled out the ice shard, eliciting another cry from her. Blood began oozing onto her blouse sleeve.

“I'm...okay. Pers....” Yukiko started, but before she could call a healing spell the three of them were again thrown to the ground by a blast of wind.

Yosuke, whose Garudyne was aimed for the Shadow, striking the rest of the team harder than his intended target, spat out a curse. “We're too close in here!”

“ _ Not _ all of my Personas,” the Shadow said. “Watch this. Izanagi!”

He flashed green, and then a lean white figure leaped from his body, towering over even Kanzeon. “No!” Rise cried. “It's... it's that one! The one he used to beat Izanami!”

Izanagi-no-Okami swung its spear at them, a yellow ball of energy flying off from its tip. With no time to react, Nanako called for Seraph again and poured every ounce of her strength into her Persona's shield. She was just barely in time to absorb the massive attack, but the sheer force of it shattered the shield and knocked her unconscious. “Nanako!” Ryotaro caught her as she flew backward and pulled her away while Yosuke, Chie, Teddie, Taro, and Margaret closed ranks, attempting to protect them.

“We don't have enough room in here!” Chie said.

“Oh, this is a bear-tastrophe!” Teddie cried.

“We gotta get him outside somehow,” Yosuke said.

There was a feral cry from behind them, and almost immediately Kanji shoved his way past them, charging at the Shadow. The Shadow glanced at him just in time for Kanji to grab him in a tackle hold, carrying him away toward the front of the store. However, within a second their progress slowed, and then stopped. Kanji was still pushing with all his might, but his shoes had begun slipping on the tile floor. Shadow Souji was standing still as if rooted to the spot.

It looked down almost lazily, and then grabbed Kanji's hair and yanked upward, lifting the taller man off his feet. Kanji swung wildly, kicking and pounding it for all he was worth, but in one swift yet graceful motion it knelt down and slammed his face into the floor. He spasmed and went limp.

“No!” Naoto cried. She drew her revolver and fired off several shots at the Shadow, emptying her gun.. Time seemed to slow down as the bullets each left the barrel, moving so slowly they could actually see the bullets in flight.  _ What the hell? Is that...is that his power too? _

“Who taught you gun safety, anyway?” the Shadow said. In a move even swifter than the first, it pulled Kanji's limp form up by the hair, placing him in between itself and the slowly oncoming bullets.

Naoto shrieked. She had acted without thinking, and now it was going to get Kanji killed. She started to run toward them...

...until a form in white whipped past her, flying into the bullets and disintegrating them mid-air. It then continued on toward the Shadow, striking it with enough force to knock Kanji out of its hand and carry it further backward, smashing through the circular service desk and several sales displays before finally tearing a large hole through the front wall, shattering the windows.

At first it looked to them like Taro's Persona, Ame-No-Uzume, but the legs pumping against the ground were not the Persona's, but Taro's own. Taro had thrown both his Persona and himself at the Shadow to save Kanji, and now...nobody knew what to expect. The team ran after them, Rise having scooped up the fox in her arms and Nanako on her feet again thanks to a quick healing spell from Yukiko. With her renewed energy she was outpacing her father's longer gait, passing him easily. Ryotaro was doing his best to keep up, but something was robbing him of the strength he knew he had. He felt sick, a little bit, and it made it hard for him to concentrate. Was this what they'd warned him about? It was already plainly obvious that he'd be little help to them, but he had to do his best. As he reached the barely-conscious Kanji he tried to pick him up, but he could tell right away the young man had a concussion, a serious knot forming on his forehead.

“This'll help!” Ryotaro turned just in time to see Yosuke, and a large figure wearing what looked like a disco dancer's outfit, appear above him. Ribbons of white wrapped themselves around Kanji and immediately his eyes snapped open. The bump on his forehead vanished. “Keep him clear, and you too!”

“H-hell no! I'm helping!” Kanji shouted, wincing, just as Naoto reached them. She almost literally pulled Kanji from Ryotaro's hands and the two of them ran outside, Kanji's pace steadying as he went.

Before Ryotaro could react, Margaret passed him as well. She was rapidly flipping through the Compendium as she ran, her shoes making no sound on the floor as she almost literally floated toward the hole in the wall. Shaking his head and choosing to ignore it, he ran after her as best he could.

Just as the first of them made it outside, there was a bright green flash and Taro was sent flying, smashing into a parked car and rolling off onto the ground, still and silent. Yukiko threw a Samarecarm his way but was immediately knocked to the ground yet again with a massive ice attack that left her coated her with a thick layer of frost.

The green glow faded and they could see Shadow Souji, his eyes glowing yellow but the rest of him dull and haggard, bobbing up and down as if breathing heavily. His teeth were clenched. “So that's how you're gonna play it.” He leaped into the air, his green aura strengthening, as Memflies began flowing in from all directions. Kanji gasped as black specks started pouring from every orifice. As the last ones left his knees gave out. Naoto ran back to him, trying to cushion his fall, but he was simply too heavy for her and she ended up going down with him.

It took only a moment for the Shadow's monstrous, animalistic self to re-form, identical to the creature that had attacked them at the Reverse Shrine. It slammed back to the ground, the resulting tremors knocking everyone but Margaret off their feet. The massive head, Souji's and yet  _ not _ Souji's, twisted to an unnatural angle and fixed its eyes on Nanako. “ _ Look familiar, Little Sis? This is the exact spot where you forced me out of  _ your  _ Shadow.” _ Nanako was too busy trying to stand for her to respond, and only had a second to ponder its meaning. “ _ Time for a little payback, wouldn't you agree?” _ It summoned Izanagi-no-Okami once again, who fired a second ball of yellow light at the team. Nanako summoned Seraph and fired her own ball of white light at the Shadow, the two energy spheres striking in midair and exploding in a heatless flame. All those who were able shielded their eyes, Naoto covering Kanji's limp form with her own body.

“ _ Cute,” _ Shadow Souji said. “ _ Try this!” _ It fired a green beam from its mouth.

Seraph fired a white beam from its hands that met the Shadow's in midair, but it did little more than slow the green beam's progress toward them. It exploded in Nanako's face, throwing her backward into another car. Ryotaro leaped for her, only managing to slow her and they both struck the car. Before anyone could react, the Shadow's Persona flung spheres of green at them, rapid fire, one after the other, bathing them in an intense green glow.

There were screams and shouts, and several desperate cries of, “Persona!” However, no attack was able to escape the field of energy the Shadow had placed around them, and as the field exploded, almost all were knocked to the gray pavement, some unconscious.

All except for Margaret. She was still standing, straight and tall, the Compendium open in her arms. Rivulets of smoke rose from her suit and hair, but she appeared otherwise unmarred. She stared at Shadow Souji, her face betraying only that she was apparently unimpressed with the show of power.

“ _ So you're a little more than just a pretty face sitting in a big limo,” _ Shadow Souji said.

“More than a little,” Margaret said, “but I wouldn't expect one such as yourself to see it for what it truly is. You are the worst qualities of Souji-san, amplified through the power of this world and corrupted by Loki, but you have something he did not have: pure, untempered arrogance. Far too much of it.”

Her hair lifted from her shoulders, floating lazily around her head. Then her feet left the ground, her legs splaying out as if in a floating fighting stance. Her entire body rose into the air, cards slipping out from between the pages of the Compendium and swirling about her. The Compendium itself left her hands and began flapping its pages, like a bird holding vigil before her. The hideous grin on the Shadow's grotesque visage immediately vanished. “I am charged with the heat and tension of battle,” Margaret said. “My sins are many, but yours are worse. You will not be forgiven until you give up this life you have stolen!”

Rise, having recovered quickly enough to witness this, thanks to Kanzeon's protection, gasped. “ _ She's – she's floating!” _ she told the others through her power. She scanned Margaret and immediately was sure she'd read something wrong. Except for Shadow Souji, she'd never seen  _ anything _ this powerful. Not even...not even Izanami Herself... “ _ Her power level – it's insane! Margaret, what – what are you?” _

“ _ Dead!” _ Shadow Souji shouted. Izanagi-no-Okami appeared flung its spear at her. She held out her hand and the spear stopped as soon as its tip struck her palm, the enormous weapon vibrating in place.

Shadow Souji twisted his hand and the spear twisted likewise, tearing at Margaret's flesh. Her blood began to drip onto the ground, but the droplets evaporated into puffs of white vapor almost as soon as they struck the pavement.

She thrust her hand forward and the spear flew back toward Izanagi. Shadow Souji cried out in wordless anger and both Izanagi and his spear disappeared. “ _ I don't need a Persona to kill you!”  _ He spread his hands and cried out, and immediately his body began to grow. A third pair of legs sprouted from its stomach and grew into massive tree trunks holding up its swelling body.

Its immense growth caused it to shove parked cars into piles on either side. Teddie cried out in wordless fear, echoing what everyone else was feeling. It now had six legs, and its arms ended in giant talons that dripped a thick, yellow substance. Its scaly skin was punctuated by black, razor-sharp spikes. As if its original form weren't monstrous enough, its new form was like some hideous genetic experiment performed on the original.

“ _ Oh my God!”  _ Rise cried, her self-control broken by the mere sight of it. “ _ Oh my God oh my God...” _

The others started to get up but Margaret waved a hand at them. “No, I will deal with this. You must stay safe for the next battle!”

“ _ There won't  _ be  _ a next battle!” _ Shadow Souji bellowed. Its voice no longer contained even a hint of Souji's, nor much of anything that could be considered human. “ _ There won't be anything left of you to fight it!” _ It brought its massive clawed hands together and created a shockwave that blasted them hard, sending cars and debris flying toward them.

Margaret waved her hands and the debris simply vanished.

“ _ Am I supposed to be impressed?”  _ Shadow Souji said. Its lack of retaliation, though, indicated to them that it was at least  _ slightly _ impressed.

“Just watch,” Margaret said sternly. She grabbed the Compendium from the air, flipped it to a page with a quick swipe of her hand, and withdrew the card held within that page. Immediately the Persona Helel came forth, and a white light shone from above. The air between her and the Shadow exploded in that white light, obscuring all vision for a moment.

Shadow Souji cried out, but not in pain. It sounded to Rise more like anger. She knew the Shadow had survived, and was about to attack. She tried desperately to regain her control, but it was so difficult. Even Izanami...even when she'd watched her friends...watched Izanami kill them one after the other...even that hadn't seemed as hopeless as this.  _ Please help us _ , she thought.  _ Someone. Anyone. I don't wanna die. _

As the air cleared they could all see Shadow Souji still standing. It roared, and then charged at Margaret. She flipped open page after page of the Compendium, summoning by name one Persona after the other. “Asura! Shiva! Ardha! Attis! Zaou-Gongen!” Each threw its most powerful attack at the Shadow, none harming it but the combination eventually stopping it in its tracks. “Now withstand this!” Margaret finished with Surt, blasting Shadow Souji with Ragnarok. The Shadow seemed to erupt into flames, the very air around it burning. The piles of wrecked cars to either side of it erupted into flames, but Margaret easily washed away the flames with a wave of her hand.

Nanako, who had managed to regain her feet, felt something bump into her ankle. The fox, still dragging its limp leg, held a leaf in its mouth up to her. She accepted it, and as soon as it touched her skin she felt invigorated once again.  _ You did this for me before _ , she thought. “Oinari...that's your name, huh? Thanks.” She patted its head and looked up, trying to locate something, anything to target. The entire area was obscured with smoke, and even Margaret, who she knew wasn't far from her, was not visible.

Chie coughed as she pushed herself up. “I can't see anything! Is everyone okay?”

“ _ Everyone's...everyone's okay,” _ Rise said.

“Was that it?” Yukiko said. “Did she – did she beat him?”

“No – I don't think so,” Naoto said as she helped Kanji to his feet. She examined his face. “You okay?”

“N-Naoto...I – I think I remember.” He looked up toward the others. “Oh my God, this is...” He looked up into the gray, featureless sky. “M-mom...”

Naoto's heart thumped hard exactly once. Could it be...did this mean...? She couldn't even think to ask herself what it meant, but only felt her sense of dread grow to a level not even brought on by the certainty of her own impending death at the hands of the monster before them.

Ryotaro was on his knees, his insides such a gelatinous mess that he was unable to even stand. “Is this...is this what you guys went through back then?”

“Kinda...” Yosuke started.

Nanako stepped backward, bumping into Chie and almost knocking her over. “Look out..!”

There was another roar and the ground began to rumble. The smoke parted to reveal Shadow Souji rushing toward them again. Margaret shot forward to meet the Shadow head-on, an insect charging an oncoming train. At the instant they collided there was a literal explosion of sound, the air parting itself violently to make way for them. Margaret was thrown backward, crashing into and  _ through _ the pavement, collapsing the ground and leaving a crater. The Shadow, its forward momentum suddenly stopped, staggered and fell, shaking the ground almost as violently as its fierce stomp had.

Kanji jumped back just in time for a curved black object to embed itself in the ground where his foot had been a second before. “Holy shit,” he said. He knelt down and grabbed it, snapping it off from the part stuck in the ground. It seemed like plastic covered in velvet, a very fine silk from the feel of it, with a few blond hairs tangled in the nap. He turned to Naoto. “Nao...” He stopped when he saw her quivering, just a little, but noticeably. She turned to him, and he could see her eyes were wide in terror. All color had drained from her face, and her lower lip trembled. It was the first time his foggy memory told him he'd ever seen her like this, but then he saw why. A blue high-heeled shoe, torn but recognizable, was embedded in the car windshield mere centimeters from her head. He stumbled toward her. “Nao-tan! You okay?” He grabbed her arms. “Nao-tan?”

Naoto blinked a few times. It took her a second to realize she was staring straight at him, and that he'd asked her a question. “Yeah...yes, I'm fine.” She collapsed into Kanji's arms and he pulled her into a hug, and before she realized it she was returning it. After a few seconds she turned to look at the shoe that had almost taken her life. She drew in a deep breath.  _ I'm fine. _ She felt a sob rise in her throat, and as she exhaled she let it out, squeezing Kanji more tightly. The years of separation, the rift between them, was forgotten in an instant.  _ I'm...still alive. _

_ I wouldn't let you pass that easily. _ She shivered, and Kanji cradled the back of her head.

Taro jumped to his feet and rushed to the crater. Margaret was lying at the bottom, her arms and legs at unusual angles. He could tell she was breathing and her eyes were open and blinking, but she was otherwise not moving. Taro slid down into the crater, just barely stopping himself before tumbling over her. “Margaret? Margaret, can you hear me?” He placed his hands at her warm, almost feverish cheeks, wondering briefly if Margaret had bones and if they could be broken. If her back, or her neck could be broken, and if it would mean the same to her as it would a human.

“Pain,”she said, spitting out some blood with the “p”. “Pain. I – I have never felt...pain, before. Such an interesting...experience.”

There was roaring laughter. “ _ How's that...heat and tension...now?” _ The voice was heavy, and for the first time seemed to be struggling. Taro looked up over the lip of the crater to see the smoke clearing, and beyond it Shadow Souji trying to push itself to its feet, its giant legs quivering.

“Exhilarating,” Margaret said. She started to move her arms and legs, and grunted as they started crackling. “Unlike anything I've ever...ah! Ever...”

“No, don't...” Taro started. The chain of wet crackling sent bile up his throat, but after a few seconds Margaret had managed to straightened out her limbs again.

“I'll be fine,” she said, slowly floating off the ground. Her arms, legs, and neck were limp this time, though, and she had the appearance of a marionette dangling on invisible strings. Her white skin was streaked with black, torn and oozing blood in many places. Her outfit was tattered and hanging from her, with many holes ripped in her black leggings, and her modesty only barely covered. One shoe was gone, and the other had its toe and spike heel torn away, her bare toes and shreds of black silk pouring out of what was left of it.

“ _ I...beat you,” _ Shadow Souji said, panting loudly.

She tilted her head back to look at it. Despite the broken appearance of her body, her eyes were still sharp and focused, and glowed with intent. “Maybe, but now  _ they _ will beat  _ you _ .”

“ _ What the hell makes you think that?” _

Margaret lowered to the ground, but did not even try to stand. She remained sitting on the ground, using her hands to prop herself up. Taro was at her side and held her arms. She turned to him and smiled warmly, but then pulled away from him and steadied herself onto her own feet. Taro tried to hold her down but found his strength quite inadequate,even in her apparent weakened state. Margaret hobbled to the Compendium, which was apparently undamaged from its forceful plunge into the Earth, and bent over to pick it up. There was more crackling as she lifted it into her arms and straightened up. She flipped it open to a page near the end, and then pulled a card from within. “ _ I  _ have your ultimate power now,” Margaret said, the grin on her torn face a show of ironic triumph. “Without it you're vulnerable.”

Taro could see the image on the card; it was the same white-clad Persona the Shadow had repeatedly summoned. Izanagi-no-Okami, Souji's ultimate Persona. The Persona he used to beat the goddess Izanami. The one he'd used to beat Margaret...beat them  _ all _ ... into a bloody pulp.

“ _ What?” _ Shadow Souji said. Its hands flailed about as it tried unsuccessfully to push itself up. “ _ No, you can't take it that easily! Izanagi!” _

The card started to glow but Margaret quickly tucked it into the book and slammed it shut. The book glowed, and then darkened again. “This is not yours anymore,” Margaret said.

Shadow Souji cried out in anger. “ _ You...you...stoic...bitch! All right, then I'll just have to beat you all with the  _ rest  _ of my power!” _ It slammed its fists into the ground, forcing itself into an unsteady standing position, and then threw its hands forward, a beam of green shooting out.

“Not this time!” Nanako leaped forward and summoned Seraph. Seraph appeared and fired its own white beam to counter. This time it looked as if it might actually hold. However, as before, the green began to overtake the white, if a bit more slowly this time. Nanako gritted her teeth and struggled to maintain her concentration, but Seraph was just sapping her strength too quickly. “C'mon...hold it...hold it...”

“ _ Guys, help her!” _ Rise said. “ _ Give it everything you've got!” _

The others started firing off spells left and right at the Shadow, the air a combination of sizzling and repeated cries of “Persona!” but everything seemed to disperse as soon as it hit the green skin. None seemed to distract it.

“Guys...I...can't...hold...it...” Nanako said. The green was closing in on her, the heat of it making her clothes start to smolder.

“No you don't!” Taro was immediately at her side, a trail of blood running from his cut lip down his chin, but his jaw was set and eyes aflame. “Persona!” Ame-No-Uzume burst forth, adding her own white beam from her hand-held fans to Seraph's. However, it only managed to slow down the progress of the green beam, and it was already less than a meter from engulfing them both. He glanced over at her briefly. She was gritting her teeth and grunting under the strain, and he felt his own energy dropping too quickly for him to keep up his own attack much longer. In a few seconds the beam would strike them...

...but then he decided it would only strike  _ him _ . He would push her out of the way before it could hurt her. Yes, it would probably kill him, but it would save  _ her _ . He wasn't sure what exactly it was about her, but she was important. More important than he was, “Power of the Fool” or not.

He'd wanted to play the hero for so long; here was his chance. Push her out of the way, let her live. Let her live...

There was a flash of light, and everything seemed to stop. The beams, the spells flying overhead, everything. “What...?”

_ You have learned the true nature of the hero... _

“What?” Taro said. Everything started moving again, but the green beam's slow approach seemed to have stopped.

“What?” Nanako said, straining.

“What did you say?” he said.

“N-nothing! Stop distracting me!”

_...to fully sacrifice oneself for those you do not even know... _

“Who's...saying...that...?” he shouted.

_ Your Persona has evolved... _

There was another flash, and everything stopped again. Ame-No-Uzumi's long hair and cape, which had been flapping in the wind behind her, tore away, as did the fans on her face and hands. Then her face itself tore away, disappearing into nothingness. The body stretched and ballooned, revealing a long shirt over a muscular body, skin deep brown, and instead of hair a large golden halo spinning about its slightly oversized head.

To the others the change was instantaneous, and there were a few cries of surprise. “W-what?” Teddie shouted. “What is that?”

Nanako and Taro were both too focused to look away. “ _ What...what is that?”  _ came Rise's voice, but Taro could barely hear her over the voice he realized was in his own head:

_ I am Kunino-sagiri, and together we shall save those who will deliver the world from true evil. _

“No! No, not that thing again!” Yosuke shouted.

“ _ It's his Persona!” _ Rise said. “ _ It – changed!” _

“It's that thing we fought when he...he...!” Chie said.

“That...was that really...his inner self?” Naoto said.

“No, it's different!” Yukiko resumed her onslaught, despite the fact that it was draining her reserves. “It's his true power, it has to be! We can win this!”

Yukiko proved to be correct. The combined white beam, now bolstered by the stronger Kunino-sagiri and the boost of energy it had given Taro, pushed back the green beam until it reached Shadow Souji's hands. It cried out as the beams exploded in bright white in front of him, and its forelegs collapsed beneath it.

There was a yelp, and the fox shot past them, its broken leg somehow healed again. It jumped up at Shadow Souji and, for an instant, they could see a female figure in a wispy white robe, slashing at the Shadow and tearing away large chunks of the thick green flesh that each slapped into the ground with a sickening jelly-like *spluch*. In the massive gashes swirled a mass of red and black, some of it dripping onto the ground like ichor. The female image vanished leaving only the fox, who landed on the ground and started to run away, limping again on the previously-injured hind leg.

“Yeah, that's it!” Teddie cried. His bulbous, clawed Persona Kamui appeared and threw a Bufudyne at it, knocking the Shadow the rest of the way onto the ground.

“That's it!” Chie shouted. “Everyone, now!” All of them, even Kanji, Ryotaro, and the savagely battered Margaret, charged the Shadow and started slashing at it with their fans and knives, emptying their guns into it, or just tearing at it with their hands and pounding it with their feet.

“ _ Yes! You're doing it!” _ Rise shouted. A second later, though, the monster stirred, knocking them all backward with a clawed swipe, though with much less force than before. Seraph absorbed nearly all the force from the blow, and nobody was seriously injured from it. The Shadow tried to stand, but its middle pair of legs broke off and it fell to the ground again.

The red and black poured from its wounds into a puddle beneath it, and its form began to melt. The remaining elephant legs and clawed digits gave way to very human arms and legs, the massive stalk of a neck shrinking and bringing the grotesquely human head closer to the body.

“ _ Don't let up, guys!” _ Rise said. “ _ It's getting weaker!” _

The Shadow screamed at them, its voice having reverted to some semblance of Souji's. “ _ No! I...hate you all!  _ He  _ hated you all!” _

“Liar!” Nanako screamed. The team resumed firing spell after spell at the Shadow, with Yosuke's Brave Blade slashing a gaping hole in its chest that widened even as the body shrank further. The air above them was a mass of Personas, more than the team had ever managed to summon at once. Taro and Margaret summoned every Persona they had available to them, each pummeling the Shadow with their most powerful attacks. Only Ryotaro, who had no Persona, was left out and wisely chose to hang back from the heat of the battle.

No, it was no longer a battle. It was a massacre. This was their true strength, the strength of teamwork. The strength of friendship. The strength of  _ love _ .

The Shadow made a last ditch effort to reflect their spells, but Nanako easily shielded them from any damage. After a final flash of lightning bounced off her shield she heard something. She looked up, and for a brief instant she thought she could see something. A face. A face that made her happier than she could ever remember being.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji had managed to slide his attention back into the Shadow World and found them, and could do little more than watch the battle with insanely swinging mixtures of hope and dread, fear and delight. He had so greatly feared their deaths, even when Margaret seemed to have fought the Shadow to a standstill, but then, when Taro's Persona changed, he felt it. A door...no, more like a funnel...a way he could focus himself. He needed Taro to...what?

To collect him. He did it before. He saved...Rise. He saved Rise. Yes, his mind was returning. He could feel it. The scattered pieces of him were being drawn back in. He felt coherent again. He felt himself. Almost alive...

...but not yet. There was one thing he needed, and he knew now how to get it back.

_ Nanako! _ he cried out. He saw her look up, her eyes wide and a smile forming. Could she...could she actually see him?  _ Little Sis! You and Taro...hit it together! _

“Big Bro?”

_ Hit it together...and I can get in...through you... _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the Shadow, now much smaller, stood in preparation for a fresh onslaught, Nanako looked up into the sky. “Big Bro?”

“ _ Nanako-chan, what are you...?” _ Rise started.

“Taro-san!” Nanako interrupted. “Hit it right in the middle! That beam, like you used before!”

“What?” Taro said. He glanced at her and saw the determination in her eyes. They told him she knew what she was doing, or at least  _ thought _ she did, and he knew better than to question her at this critical moment. “Right!” He switched back to Kunino-sagiri and fired the massive beam of white onto the Shadow, knocking it backward. He refocused and struck it squarely in the gash in its chest, the one Yosuke had made moments earlier. Nanako switched from shielding the others into a full assault, pouring every ounce of her being into the beam that joined with Taro's, splitting the hole in the Shadow's chest wider still and flinging the ichor from within out all directions. It started to writhe and contort, trying to break away, but their combined beam held it fast.

“Everyone else stop!” Nanako called out. “Big Bro, now!”

It was the heat of battle, and not everyone understood or heard what Nanako had said. However, when they saw tiny specks of blue begin to swirl in from the air above onto Seraph and Kunino-sagiri, as if they were collecting the very stars from the sky, and then the specks shooting along the conjoined beams of white, they stopped their attacks and watched in various combinations of awe, dread, and everything in between.

“ _ N-no...”  _ the Shadow tried weakly as the specks entered its body through the many gashes in its skin. “ _ It's...it's my... _ my  _ body!” _ It twisted one way and another, but could not break free of the combined power of Seraph and Kunino-sagiri. Of Nanako Dojima and Taro Namatame. The more spots of blue light that entered the body, the further it shrank.

“ _ Give...it...back!” _

There was a flash of bright blue, and Nanako released her beam. Taro released his an instant later and all shielded their eyes. Once the light faded they could see two Soujis standing where only minutes before there had been a monstrosity of epic proportions. The Souji in front had dark circles under his eyes and his clothing was torn in many places, but seemed otherwise all right. The one behind him, thinner and shorter than the first and dressed in what looked like a pair of pajamas, slouched as its head rolled on its shoulders. It blinked its wide, yellow eyes.

Both Soujis looked up to see a form in black, spinning in the air and screaming at them. Souji, Taro, and Rise recognized it as the same thing that had emerged from Nanako's Shadow in this very same spot. This time, though, instead of letting loose a wordless cry, it was a stream of curse words in every language the team had ever heard, and many more they'd  _ never  _ heard.

Souji turned to face his Shadow, who said, “Don't...don't let it take me again...please...”

“Then let's end it,” Souji said, his voice crackling in his dry throat. “Together. You and me, one and whole.”

The Shadow nodded curtly, and then in a flash of blue light, transformed into Izanagi-no-Okami. The Compendium in Margaret's hand flipped, on its own, to the page where she had deposited the card she stole from the Shadow. The card emerged and flew to Souji, stopping before him. He accepted it, and Izanagi disappeared.

“You cannot defeat me!” cried the amorphous creature. "I control the night! I control  _ you _ !" Souji looked up at it. He knew exactly what it was, and what he had to do.

“Watch us!” shouted Chie.

“No, he's mine!” Souji said. “My Shadow was right about one thing. This is my world, Loki, and I'm ending it. You're no longer welcome here!”

The creature screamed, and then morphed. Golden hair sprouted from its head and its skin changes from black to blue. “ _ You ungrateful slob! You ignominious pinhead! I gave you everything!” _

“You manipulated my dark half, gave it power it couldn't handle because it didn't have self-control. Now  _ I'm _ in charge, and you can have your power back! Persona!” Souji raised his arms and Izanagi reappeared, thrusting its spear upward and plunging it into Loki's chest. Loki cried out and thrust his hands downward, striking Souji with what looked like black lightning bolts.

“Big Bro!”

“Everyone stay back!” Souji cried, the black lightning arcing along his skin into the ground.

“ _ Senpai! Let us help you!” _

“No, I have to do this! My Shadow didn't lie about this. This is my world – only  _ I  _ can do it!”

“Then keep it together, partner!” Yosuke shouted. It had been a long time since Souji had heard him say that, and it warmed his heart. “We're right behind you!”

“Yes!” Naoto said. When she realized that she was excited, actually happy, to see Souji better, forced her emotions back under control. “You can...you can defeat it!” While it turned her stomach to say those words, the fact that it did so actually made her feel better. She had been momentarily seduced by his charm again, but now she felt in control again. She knew, deep down, he really  _ did _ have the power, and was relieved that the thought frightened her. His unleashing that power may be the first sign of the evil he would bring, but it was too late for her to do anything about it. Whatever happened, she would not go into her doom praising her destructor.  _ But why was I relieved so easily? Does that...does that mean... _

_ Because you had a moment of weakness that has since passed. _

“Beat 'im good, Sensei!” Teddie shouted, breaking her internal dialogue.

“Kick that thing's ass!” Kanji shouted.

“Send it to hell!” Yukiko said.

The lightning grew even more intense, but Souji withstood it. For the first time in a long time, he felt the bond with his friends, strong and fulfilling. In the black lightning he could see the faint image of another card – the Judgment card, the same as he'd seen before. As it first appeared it was inverted, but it then flipped right-side up.

_ Your friends have proven their dedication to you... _ _   
_ _ They have saved you from the brink of death... _ _   
_ _ Their love has once again given you the strength to defeat a god... _ _   
_ __ The Truth-Seekers Social Link has been restored.

He wasn't sure how, but that gave him the strength to endure Loki's vicious attack. He redoubled the force of his own, Izanagi plunging its spear deeper into Loki's chest, until it burst through the other side.

Loki cried out, whipping his hands upward, sending the dark lightning in all directions. The team was knocked off their feet before they could react, and was then blinded by the explosion.

All went silent. Izanagi vanished. Loki was gone. Souji stood alone, his eyes up to the sky. A few seconds later they rolled up into his head and he crumpled into a heap on the ground.

“Souji!” Rise shouted, dismissing Kanzeon and sprinting toward him. She scooped him up into her lap. “Souji, no...” She was suddenly relieved to see his chest start rising and falling, if a bit gently, even though the rest of him was as limp as death.

“No! Is he...is he...?” It was Yukiko, at her side immediately, followed by Nanako. The rest were close behind, forming a protective circle around him.

“Big Bro! N-no!”

Naoto didn't know what to believe. Could it be this easy? Could – could Souji, the evil being he was, have actually  _ sacrificed _ himself to defeat another evil being?  _ Nothing worth doing is ever easy _ , she thought.

“He's alive,” Rise said. She pressed a finger to his throat, and felt a pulse. “He's...still alive.”

There was a collective expression of relief, though the news only made Naoto break out in gooseflesh. Kanji, apparently mistaking that for an alleviation of her fear, pulled her close and gave her a one-armed hug. “Yeah, me too,” he said. “Man, my head's still filled with crap, but I think...” She didn't hear the rest of what he said. She could only stare down at Souji, fully aware that her mission was far from over.

“He used every bit of his energy to defeat Loki,” Margaret said, fresh blood dribbling from her shredded lips. “He did it on his own this time. He wasn't channeling a god's power. He chose not to. This he did on his own.”

Nanako started to cry, but sniffled as she wiped away a tear from her cheek. “So...stupid...” She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see that it belonged to her father. She hugged him. “He's...he's gonna be okay. I can – feel it.”

“Yeah,” Ryotaro said, his voice nowhere near as sure as hers.

“ _ How touching!” _

They all turned upward, and gasped. Loki had reappeared, floating above them with his arms crossed. He sniffled theatrically. “ _ Makes me...make me want to...bwaaaahhh!” _ He rubbed his eyes as water gushed from them. It was a show of false emotion that would have put Rise to shame.

“Guys,” Taro said, “let's do this. For Souji-kun.” He just hoped they had enough strength left to do it; he himself was quite drained.

The team, however, did not hesitate and immediately deployed themselves for another fight. Naoto, as quickly as she could, reloaded her gun with fresh rounds from her jacket pocket. Rise summoned Kanzeon and shielded Souji as best she could. Even the fox, injured as it was, barked a challenge to the god.

Loki waved his hand. “ _ Oh, relax. It's over here. For me, anyway. This past week's been fun, but I'm going to go play my own game now. You really are such pesky humans, you know. No wonder you've made the enemies you have. But I'll let the brother take care of his own dirty work from now on.” _

“W-what?” Chie said. “Brother? What are you talking about?”

“ _ Come now, do you honestly think I was manipulating things from behind the scene? Subtlety just isn't my way.” _

“Wait, what the hell you talking about?” Yosuke said. “Whaddya mean 'behind the scenes'?”

“ _ Well, you're the Investigation Team. Go investigate already!”  _ Loki fixed his gaze on Naoto, winked, and then shot upward in a flash. Flecks of black swirled together into a giant swarm and trailed behind him, disappearing into the gray sky.

“Memflies?” Yukiko said.

“Yeah,” Nanako said. “He's taking them with him. I think –  _ all _ of them.”

“What're Memflies?” Kanji asked.

“I'll – tell you later,” Naoto said.

“So the world's going to go back to normal?” Ryotaro asked.

“Maybe,” Yosuke said, “but what about that 'his own dirty work' thing?”

Before anyone could answer, the world around them began to fade. The ruined Junes parking lot became translucent, flowers and bright green grass springing up from the ground beneath them. The uniform canopy of gray clouds dissolved, replaced by a deep blue sky and warm sunlight. Color returned to the world.

“It's back,” Teddie said, his voice slightly choked. “My world's back.”

“But Senpai...” Rise said, stroking his cheek. It was cool to her touch.

“We need to get back,” Taro said. “Rest up. Figure out what Loki was talking about, if it meant anything at all.” He looked around. There was no more Reverse Junes, and from what he could tell, no TV sets to use as a portal. “Umm, how...”

“Well, if it's my world again, then...” Teddie waved a hand. A stack of television sets appeared in the grass, and through the screens they could see the ruined Junes. “Let's take Sensei home.”

“I'll go first,” Yosuke said. “Just – just in case.”

“Me too,” Chie said.

“Me three,” Teddie added.

“Then let's go home,” Yukiko said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Uh, Teddie – is this right? Are we back?” Yosuke scanned all around. “It's all dark.”

They had emerged from the TV into a Junes that, while still blaring fire sirens, was much darker than they'd left it. “Yeah, it's gotta be,” Teddie said. He leaned back and inhaled deeply. “Doesn't smell like my world at all.”

“There's color here,” Yukiko said, putting her hands to her ears. “And that fire alarm.”

“Lights are all out though,” Taro said. “Emergency lights aren't working either.”

“Think our battle fried everything?” Chie said.

“Maybe,” Taro said as he emerged from the TV screen. He immediately put his hands to his ears. “Wish it'd taken out the alarms too.”

Margaret, who had stepped out immediately after Taro, said, “Remember, it wasn't your battle, it was...”

“Right, right, some god making it look like it was.” Yosuke chuckled humorlessly. “Maybe I'll be lucky and it fried the cameras too.”

Nanako and the fox came out next, followed by Ryotaro and Rise, supporting Souji on their shoulders. Rise's knees buckled a little more with each step. “I – I can't...” Rise said. “Someone help...” Taro ran to her and took Souji's arm off her shoulders, accepting it onto his own. “I'm sorry, I just...”

“It's okay,” Taro said. “I'm sure he understands.” He smiled, and she smiled back.

Naoto and Kanji were the last out of the TV. As soon as they were through, Kanji fell to the floor. “Kanji!” Naoto said, dropping down to help him.

“I – I'm okay, just...” He let out a wide-mouthed yawn. “So...tired, all of a sudden.”

“Losing your Memflies takes it out of you,” Yukiko said. “Believe me, I know.”

“Hey, you gonna be all right?” Yosuke said.

“Yeah, just...wanna get to bed,” Kanji said.

Naoto touched his cheek and he turned to her. The caring, the recognition that was there before was gone. Or, at least, hidden, behind a veil of fatigue. “I'll help you get back,” she said.

“'kay.” He took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. They rejoined the rest of the group and headed out into the central rotunda. “The Memflies are gone,” Nanako said. “Everything...it's all...better.” She took out Seraph's card and pressed it to her forehead. “Persona!” Nothing happened. With a small smile, she tucked it back into her pocket.

“So that whole thing about you being able to summon your Persona here – that was because of the Shadow World leaking into this one?” Yosuke said.

“Yeah, and it was strongest here,” Nanako said. “That's why we all felt better when we came in here.”

“Huh,” Chie said. “I wasn't thinking about it, but I'm not feeling sick like I was before.”

“Then maybe it's really over,” Yukiko said. “Maybe Loki was lying.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Yosuke said distantly, surveying the damage to the store. If he still had a job over the coming days, if the store was even going to try to recover from this latest disaster, he knew they'd be long ones spent sweeping and cleaning. The thought of it made his shoulders ache, adding to the soreness in his behind from being repeatedly thrown to the ground by Shadow Souji's attacks.

“You hear that?” Rise said, laying her hands on Souji's cheeks. “It's all over. Please...wake up.”

“Rise-san,” Taro said.

Rise shook her head. “No, sorry. I shouldn't...” She blinked tears out of her eyes.  _ What's happening to me? He's gonna be all right. Nanako-chan felt it, and she's...she knows things. It's all over, and I should be happy about it. _

“Hey,” Yosuke said, touching her arm. “It's just 'cause of what happened to him. Every one of us was totally wiped after we faced our own Shadows. He'll probably wake up in the morning feeling like a million yen.”

“And probably apologize like crazy,” Chie said. Then, under her breath, “At least he  _ better _ .”

“Chie,” Yukiko said.

“Just kidding,” Chie said, only sounding like she half-meant it.

Naoto, helping Kanji shuffle his way with the group, said nothing. They were talking about him again, and even Yukiko, who she thought was on her side, was defending him. Somehow it always seemed to come back to  _ him _ . Even Chie's rebuke, she knew, was half-hearted. She should have taken out Souji when she had the chance. Now, with the whole team defending him...

“Hey, Naoto, I think I can walk on my own,” Kanji said, pulling his arm from her grip.

Surprised, she let it go. She turned to him, feeling slightly disappointed that he'd given up calling her “Nao-tan”, like he used to do. “Are you sure? You've been through quite a lot.”

“No more'n everyone else,” he said. “Just...just wish I hadn't had a head full of fog durin' the whole thing. Coulda done more.”

_ Head full of fog _ , Naoto thought.  _ Yet mine is clear. Yes, clear. _ She glanced to Souji's limp form, being almost literally drug along by Namatame and Lieutenant Dojima.

_ Yes, the time is now. You are a trained marksman. You can shoot him square in the back of the head without risk of harming anyone else. You hesitated before; do not hesitate again. Put a bullet into his brain pan and end his reign of terror before anything worse happens. Just pull out your gun. A single shot will be all you'll need, and this will be all over. Just a single shot... _

She reached into her jacket before she even realized she was doing it, fingers clasped around the weapon. They stayed there. Something about this didn't feel right. As a detective she'd learned to trust her instincts, but her instincts were conflicting.  _ Why was I so relieved he was back? _

_ Because you had the opportunity to kill him. _

_ No, that can't be... _

_ Stop thinking about it and do it! Do it! DO IT! _

The last sentence screamed in her head, and she reflexively pulled out her gun. However, before she could even think to aim, Kanji stumbled into her and knocked it from her hand.

“Oops, sorry!” he said, using her free arm to steady himself. He apparently hadn't noticed what she'd been doing.

Her body on automatic pilot, Naoto tried to dive for her gun. Kanji was still holding her arm for leverage, though, and she wasn't able to reach down far enough to get it. “Hey, what...?” Kanji started.

Naoto didn't hear him, only the voice in her head telling her to get the gun now,  _ now, NOW, _ before it was too late. Before she could wrench her restrained arm free, though, the fox shot past her, appearing to gallop on its three good legs, snatching up the weapon in its mouth. “Hey!” Naoto said. “Give that back! It's dangerous!”

The fox glared at her and growled. With a swing of its head it flung the gun into the TV from which they'd emerged. The screen rippled as the weapon disappeared into it, and the fox turned back to her. It stared at her, its eyes giving what looked like a triumphant stare. A very humanlike triumphant stare.

“No – no!” She tried to turn and go after it, but Kanji still wasn't letting go of her arm.

“Hey, you tryin' to knock me down?”

“The fox, it...” She turned back to him, to see that everyone's attention was now on her.  _ You missed your opportunity _ , she thought.  _ You failed. _

“Naoto-kun?” Yukiko said. “Um – is everything all right?”

“No, the fox...” She turned back to the TV. It was gone. She scanned around. “Where the...? It's gone! The fox was here, and it's...I have to go back and get it...”

“Not now,” Taro said, interrupting her. “We have to get Souji-kun some help. The fox'll have to take care of herself.”

“But...” Naoto started.

“Hey, you okay?” Kanji said, tugging on her arm. “You're...not losin' it, are you?”

“Guys,” Nanako said, “quit fighting and come on!” She saw the annoyance in Naoto's face and felt it to her core. For the first time, she was starting to sense through Naoto's inner fog, the one that seemed to be shielding the deepest thoughts in Naoto's mind. There was something very wrong with her. What it was she couldn't be sure, but it was there all the same.

They finally made their way around the wreckage of the service desk and front windows, and to the door. It failed to slide open, so Yosuke and Chie pushed on each side. They swung open, and everyone filed outside. Yosuke surveyed the damage outside as well. Cars strewn about, some charred and burnt, and others impaled with debris. One light pole appeared to have melted halfway to the ground. “God, this is bad. Worse than before. I don't think we're gonna be opening up anytime soon.”

“People're probably gonna be afraid to come here for a while,” Chie said.

“Or even to Inaba,” Yukiko said. She knew she shouldn't be thinking about it, but the Inn losing business was the first thing that came to mind.  _ I really  _ am  _ becoming my mother, _ she thought.

“I don't know,” Taro said. “Never underestimate people's will to get back to normal. Hell, they might just want to come see the disaster area.”

“ _ Such _ a ray of sunshine,” Chie said.

“Hey, ambulances,” Taro said, ignoring her quip and gesturing toward the far end of the lot. Indeed, several ambulances had just pulled up, as well as a half dozen fire engines speeding down every unobstructed aisle. “Margaret, you should probably...” He gasped when he turned to her. She looked absolutely  _ perfect _ : her wounds were gone, skin unblemished, and her clothes looked as new as if they'd just been tailored. Not a hair was out of place. “Wh...how?”

Margaret turned to him, tilting her head in mild surprise. “Oh yes, my – injuries. I simply...turned them inward.”

“Inward?” Taro said. Before she could elaborate two men in full fire gear ran toward them. “What happened to him?” They immediately took Souji off Ryotaro and Taro's hands and laid him gently onto the ground, cushioning his head.

“He – he, uh...” Chie said.

“He just collapsed,” Ryotaro said. He pulled out his ID and showed it to them. “I don't – know if he was injured.”

One of the firefighters waved toward an ambulance, and two EMTs sprinted over with a gurney. The firemen helped them slide him onto a stretcher, which the EMTs then set on the gurney. They checked his vitals, and one of them said, “Pulse and breathing are good. We'll take him to the hospital.” They started wheeling Souji away, but Rise ran after them.

“Rise-chan, wait!” The others chased after her, around the firefighters and police officers, toward the ambulance. After they'd pushed the gurney inside Rise tried to climb in after it.

One of the EMTs held her back. “Sorry, family only.”

“But – but...I'm his fiancee!” she cried.

“Wait, what?” Yukiko said. “His what?”

Chie looked from Souji to Rise, and back to Souji. She whispered to Yosuke, “Did we – did we  _ miss _ something?” Yosuke shook his head and shrugged, unable to say anything in reply.

The EMT sighed. “All right.” He helped Rise up into the ambulance. She glance out the doors at the others the second before they were closed, and it pulled away with sirens blaring.

They all stood and watched it drive around the parked fire engines and police cards, carrying the apparently engaged Souji and Rise away. Yukiko in particular was staring, frozen in place. Chie turned to her. “Y-Yukiko?” Yukiko said nothing in reply.

“Come on,” Ryotaro said, clearing his throat, “let's get in the...” He turned back toward his car to see the windows blown out and a hubcap embedded deeply in the hood.

“Oh crap,” Yosuke said. “You, uh, you've got insurance, right? 'Cause, well, it's not really Junes' fault.” Chie slugged him in the arm and he yelped out. “Hey I was just – just kidding.”

Ryotaro shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. He pressed and held the second key, and when “Dispatch” flashed across the display he put the phone to his ear. There were three rising tones, and a female voice said, “ _ I'm sorry, that number is no longer in service. If you need assistance, please dial your operator.” _

He pulled the phone away and checked the number on the display. “Funny,” he muttered, hit  _ End _ , and then dialed the number by hand. After pressing Send and putting the phone to his ear again, he heard the same rising tones and recording.

He slapped the phone shut and touched it to his chin. The others had said their battles did things on this side. Maybe it was so bad it took out the cell network. Shrugging, he tucked the phone into his pocket and called out to a nearby police officer. As the officer approached he could see it was the same one from before, Omura.

“Lieutenant,” the officer said. “You all right?” He looked over the others. “Were you inside when this happened?”

“We're fine,” Ryotaro said. “Get on the radio and call dispatch. Tell them I need a couple cars.” He gestured to the wreck sitting in front of the damaged department store. “We need a ride to...” He turned to everyone else. “I assume we're all going to the hospital, right?”

“Yes,” Yukiko said immediately.

“Of course,” Chie said, after a half second adding, “sir.”

The rest, except for Kanji and Naoto, responded in the affirmative. “I should probably take Kanji home,” Naoto said. “I – I mean...to where he's staying.” She turned to him. “Just down the street from their house, right?”

“I'm fine,” Kanji said, not answering her question.

“If you go to the hospital looking like this, they might insist on admitting you,” Naoto said. “And I might let them.”

Kanji snorted. “Fine, take me home. I mean...ah, hell. I got...got a whole lot runnin' through my head. Gotta make sense of all of it.”

“Three cars then, if they're available,” Ryotaro said.

The officer nodded, turned, and started talking to the radio handset clipped to his uniform epaulette.

“Oh,” Margaret said. She touched a finger to her forehead and pulled it away. The tip was wet. “Water just fell on me. Is this...rain? It's been quite a long time since I've felt that.”

Chie looked up and blinked when a raindrop struck her eye. “Yeah. Looks like some bad weather rolling in. Don't think I remember rain being in the forecast, though.”

“Hasn't really been a predictable weather day,” Yosuke said. He cleared his throat. “Today expect clouds and excessive grayness, with a 100 percent chance of destruction.”

The grim sarcasm hung unchallenged in the air for several moments before a police SUV and cruiser both pulled up. “This is all they have available here, sir,” Omura said. “You should all fit in the two, I think.”

“Thanks, Omura,” Ryotaro said. “Shirogane-san and Tatsumi-san, come with me.” He led them to the cruiser, leaned into the open passenger-side window, and directed the driver where to take them. With no further conversation, Naoto helped Kanji slid into the rear seat while the rest squeezed into the SUV, Teddie having to shed his costume before he could fit. Ryotaro got into the front passenger seat. “Hospital, ER,” he said. “You don't have to wait; I'll call for a car if we need it.”

Chie opened the window and leaned out. “Naoto-kun! We'll see you at the hospital, right?”

Naoto, who was just getting into the cruiser herself, turned to her.  _ You might have another opportunity at the hospital. They can't be with him every second. _ “Y-yes, yes I will. Soon.” She got inside and closed the door, and the cruiser pulled away.

Chie turned to Yukiko, sitting in the seat behind the driver. “She still seems kinda weird. What was that whole thing about the fox?”

“I don't know,” Yukiko said, not looking at her and instead staring out in the direction the ambulance had gone, watching the droplets of rain start to run down the window. “Just let it go, please. We should go see him – how he's doing.”

Once everyone was settled, Teddie finally satisfied that he had managed to sit in Margaret's lap, the SUV pulled away and out of the Junes parking lot, heading toward the hospital in what they hoped was a refreshed, clean, Loki-free Inaba.


	17. Alive

Again.

Lost again.

The same as before...?

No, not the same.

Was he dead?

No, he felt alive. He wasn't sure how, but he  _ knew _ he was alive.

He could think.

He could remember.

He knew his name: Souji Seta.

And yet, even alive, here he was.

A world of white, not unlike where he had been ripped from his body.

Not alone, either. There was a single presence. Female, it was female. And yet – it was not.

“ _ There you are. I've been searching all across the heavens for you.” _

That voice...he'd heard it before. Was she talking to him? No, another being had just appeared, this one male. Familiar...

The brother tilted his head back. “ _ Of course you have. To gloat, I suppose.” _

“ _ I told you I don't gloat.” _ However, she smiled a bit mockingly. “ _ Although, as you can see they've defeated the trickster and saved Izanagi's champion. Just admit: you've lost. Much more quickly than I expected, in fact.” _

“Izanagi's champion.”  _ Does she mean...me? _ Souji did his best to hide, to listen to the conversation without them detecting him.

“ _ Lost what? Was this some kind of game?” _

The sister's smile faded. “ _ You wagered you could break his will by breaking the bonds between him and his friends. Don't tell me your brief absence has addled your mind.” _

“ _ Hardly. Perhaps the game as it was has been lost, but others are impressed with my work. I have so far succeeded in what even Izanami failed to do: I defeated Izanagi's champion.  _ Your  _ champion. _

“ _ Defeated? He's still alive...” _

“ _ And yet I turned him against his friends.” _

“ _ You didn't do that. The trickster did that, and using some very underhanded tactics if you ask me.” _

The brother crossed his arms. “ _ I did  _ not  _ ask you, as a matter of fact. However, it served its purpose, and shown how even a lesser god, with my leadership, can nearly defeat those who defeated Izanami. Thanks to it I've gained  _ quite  _ the following.” _

The sister hesitated for a moment. “ _ Following?” _

“ _ Yes. Those who believe, as I do, that it is our duty to actively rule over the mortals, and intervene whenever necessary for their own good. They simply do not have the ability to preside over themselves.” _

The sister was beside herself. “ _ How did you prove that? All you did was further prove that they will fight a god and face certain death to retain their freedom of destiny!” _

“ _ But look what has happened. Tinker with memories and they believe whatever they wish. Tweak their hormones and they will behave contrary to their own good sense. These particular humans are no different. These are beings ruled by their own basest instincts! Better they be ruled directly by us, rather than their own internal chemical reactions.” _

“ _ You're – you're not making any sense. You never spoke to me of this before. What has happened to you?” _

“ _ Revelation, dear sister.” _

“ _ Power, I think is closer to the truth.”  _ She placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, but he shrugged it off. “ _ Power is a corrupting force, even for us gods.” _

The brother laughed. “ _ So you would blaspheme yourself?” _

Another approached them, cutting off the sister's reply. “ _ Ah, that was such fun. We must play like this again sometime.” _

Even though he looked different than when he'd last seen it, Souji immediately knew who it was.  _ Loki. _

The brother turned to the new arrival “ _ Why wait? You've done very well, trickster. The next phase has come. Would you like a chance to avenge your loss?” _

The trickster shrugged. “ _ No, I don't think so.” _

The brother's smug expression vanished. “ _ What?” _

“ _ This was your game, and it was fun, but I don't feel like playing anymore.” _

Now it was the brother's turn to be beside himself. “ _ But – you said you were in this until the end.” _

“ _ And this  _ is  _ the end. For me.” _

“ _ You of all have longed for more direct intervention in mortal affairs. Why turn your back on it now?” _

The trickster smiled. “ _ Because it keeps you guessing. Because I enjoy being in charge. Choose whatever you wish, it matters little to me. Besides, I've got a little game of my own I've been planning. Did you know there are actually mortals who believe they can control 'demons' with computer programs? Ooh, the things I can do to them...”  _ The trickster looked away wistfully, and then vanished. “ _ But have fun with the whole 'conquering humanity' thing, and let me know how it turns out!” _

The sister shook her head. “ _ You see now what you receive for trusting gods like him.” _

“ _ Gods like him?”  _ The brother sighed. “ _ I suppose you're right. Rather, I should trust gods such as...Benzaiten.” _

The sister stared at him. “ _ She would never follow you.” _

“ _ You should tell her that when you next see her. Or, perhaps I will tell her when I meet her for a status report.” _

The sister shook her head. “ _ I don't believe you. She helped me protect the innocents from serious harm while my champions...”  _ She sighed. “ _ When  _ humanity's  _ champions fought your minion.” _

“ _ Don't confuse her compassion with her ideals. She has been with me since the beginning, helping to pull their emotional strings just a little,  _ because  _ she loves them so, and because she knows my path is their best hope in the long term.”  _ He leaned back. “ _ You didn't know. Of course you didn't know. She never attended the meetings between myself and – the others. Your little spy only saw the meetings because I wanted her to see them. You can stop acting ignorant; I know everything you've been told.” _ He stood close to her and touched her chin, but she slapped his hand away and retreated.

“ _ I – I knew what you were doing, but I can't believe...it was  _ you  _ who did that to her! She wouldn't tell me who it was, but not out of fear. You betrayed her love for you, her friendship. She couldn't follow you down this path...” _

“ _ So she chose to spy on me for you.”  _ The brother snorted derisively. “ _ My former friend betrayed me to my sister. She paid the price for betrayal, a far leaner sentence than she deserved. Besides, I left her with enough power to help them defeat the trickster's puppet. I daresay they may not have won without her direct, and indirect, intervention. Leafmonger that she is.”  _ He smiled. “ _ Like that word, 'leafmonger'? I just made it up.” _

“ _ I'm not your enemy, I'm your sister. I love you with all my heart, which is breaking to hear you say these things. To see you conniving in this way. Please, I beg you, stop this now before you've gone too far to be forgiven.” _

“ _ Forgiven? For what do I need to be forgiven? Finishing what our father's beloved began? The trickster...he was always a wild card. He doesn't matter now. What I am doing will ultimately be in the best interests of all. I would not have gained the support I now have unless they agreed with me.” _ He circled around his sister, who had gone completely still.

“ _ I – I don't believe what I'm hearing, brother. You've always had a streak of mischief in you, but now...now you seem to be filled with malice. Was this – was this what you had planned all along?” _

The brother laughed. “ _ I'm still the same as you've always known me. Perhaps with a little more...purpose, but otherwise the same. When I saw what they did to Erebus, I knew humanity had become too powerful for their own good and needed to be controlled. For their own sake, and for ours. We do not, after all, exist to serve  _ them _. They exist to serve  _ us _.” _

“ _ You – you truly believe that...”  _ A sob escaped the sister's lips. “ _ What are you going to do now?” _

“ _ Why, defeat your champion, of course. Fully, and completely, this time with pure treachery. Prove to the others that I can defeat the mortals not just with raw power, but in ways that destroy their very humanity. One belongs to me now, whom you thought had been freed. Long have I spent, turning her mind, far more subtly than that fool trickster did with the tools I gave him. She will gladly follow me now, and destroy those she loves. Love, after all, is such a powerful weapon. Using it I can manipulate them into distraction. Wiping it out, I can fill the void with whatever I want.” _

The sister backed away, her face a river of tears that would bring a brief rain to the world of the living. “ _ I love you, my brother, and that is no weapon nor distraction. For your own good, and with that love, I'm going to stop you however I can.” _

“ _ Planning to intervene? Give humanity the power to beat me? How will that make you different from me? You say you don't wish them to be puppets, but you will be making them  _ yours  _ rather than  _ mine _.” _

“ _ I will not make them puppets, but I will do what I must. Out of my love for you, my dear brother, I will save them  _ and  _ you.”  _ She vanished.

“ _ Go then! Go back to them. You'll learn how right I am!” _

Souji saw the male's gaze shift to him. “ _ Did you hear all that, my little 'champion'?” _ Souji jumped with surprise. “ _ Did you think you could hide from me? I'm amazed my sister didn't see you, sensitive as she is to lost causes like yours. Your time is limited, you know. Even as we speak, one of your friends, one of those you trust, will betray you. But don't be too sad. It will be for a good cause. I will save humanity from itself, thanks to your sacrifice.” _

The brother vanished. “ _ Go on and find your way home now, little human. While you still can.” _

The white faded around Souji, the brother's final words echoing in the remaining black emptiness. It was all happening again. It wasn't just Loki, it was another god. One more powerful, or at least who thought he was.

“ _ She will gladly follow me now, and destroy those she loves...Even as we speak, one of your friends, one of those you trust, will betray you.” _ Those words frightened him. Someone they trusted was going to kill them. He was sure of it. But who?

He had to get back, had to warn them. The world in which he found himself was featureless, and felt like it spanned an infinite distance in all directions. He cried out, but heard no echo whatsoever. It was as if the blackness itself had absorbed his voice.

He had no choice. He had to find a way out.  _ If you can't find the exit, _ he thought,  _ go back out the way you came in. _ He turned and headed the way from which he was sure he'd come. He felt like he was moving rather quickly, and it didn't seem to be wearing him out at all, even pushing himself as hard as he could. That was good. He had to get back and warn them.

He could only hope it wouldn't be too late when he did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The EMTs had rolled Souji out of the ambulance into the crowd at the entrance to the hospital's Emergency Room, Rise easily keeping up with what felt, to her, like a frustratingly slow pace. Didn't they have any sense of urgency? So what if they had to shove people out of the way? What if their hesitation caused his coma to become permanent?  _ No, no, I can't think that _ , she told herself, trying to push those thoughts out of her head. He was going to be all right.  _ He'll wake up tomorrow, like Yosuke said, and I'll bring him all the sushi he can eat. _

As they passed through the waiting area she was surprised at just how crowded it was.  _ All these people – were they hurt in the battle? By that god-power Margaret told us about? _ Not many of them looked badly injured.  _ Maybe the Memflies being pulled out of them?  _ Kanji had practically passed out when the Shadow pulled them out of him, and by the time they got back out of the TV he could barely stand.

“Coming through, make room,” the lead EMT chanted as they forced their way through the crowd. A lot of people seemed to ignore them, even being bumped from behind.

“Move out of the way!” Rise screamed, getting startled looks from a few people, including one of the paramedics wheeling Souji's gurney. It seemed to have helped a little, though, and they managed their way through the throng to the nurse and security officer trying guard a set of double doors from the increasingly panicked crowd.

The nurse waved the paramedics through, but grabbed Rise's arm. “You can't...”

“That's my husband!” Rise screamed, stabbing a finger in Souji's direction, before wrenching her arm away and squeezing through the door after the gurney. She had started the lie a short time ago and it was just getting deeper. She thought that she should feel at least a little guilty, but was surprised she didn't. Maybe it was just the adrenaline, she didn't know or care. What was important was that she was with him, and they were finally moving with something resembling a quick pace.

“That another one?” Inside the ER, a man in a white lab coat caught up with them and kept their brisk pace.

“Yep,” one of the EMTs said. “Out cold, no apparent injuries.”

“Bay 12,” the man, apparently a doctor, said. Rise didn't much appreciate their referring to Souji as “another one”, but held her tongue. He was her only concern right now, and as long as she was at his side she would make sure he was getting the best care possible. Even if she had to bribe every doctor in this hospital to make it happen.

“Miss?” She glanced back to see Lab Coat following after her. All she knew was that he'd better not grab her arm like the nurse did, or else he might taste the punch she felt moving down her arm toward her fist.

“I'm with him,” was all she said, the marital lie not even occurring to her in that split second as she concentrated on keeping up with the gurney. Fortunately for her, or perhaps for Lab Coat, he chose not to touch her. The paramedics wheeled Souji to a curtained-off area with a number 12 suspended from the ceiling. They slid the gurney in until it was side-by-side with the bed, and on the count of three lifted him onto the bed.

“All yours,” one of the EMTs said to her before they wheeled the gurney back out of the small roomlet. She grimaced at their cavalier attitudes, but then turned her full attention to Souji and her irritation faded. He looked so peaceful lying there, looking fine if not for how pale his skin was, how it contrasted with his dark stubble. She found that rather odd, how dark his whiskers were compared with the medium gray of his hair. For a fleeting moment she wondered if he dyed his hair, though she immediately dismissed that thought as silly. He'd once told them that his father's head had gone gray when he was ten, and his own at nine. While he had at first suffered endless teasing for it, the more he moved around the country the more people began to see it as “cool” and “distinguished”, particularly given his calm, unflappable attitude.

She'd always thought it made him look damn sexy. The hair, and the attitude. It made the rare occasions when he lost his cool, like yesterday afternoon when the stress of everything had finally boiled over, make her heart ache for him all the more.

She stroked his cheek lightly, soft fingers over the coarse stubble, and could immediately tell his eyes were still under his eyelids. If she remembered correctly, if your eyes move while you're asleep it means you're dreaming. She tried to gain some comfort from that because maybe if he  _ weren't _ dreaming, he wouldn't notice the passage of time and would wake up refreshed, wondering why he was in a hospital and not still in the Shadow World.

_ The Shadow World that returned to normal, _ she thought. It happened after he'd joined with his Shadow, after he'd forced Loki out. No, Loki left on his own, but she couldn't deny that Souji had vastly overpowered anything she'd seen before. Even Margaret, even is own Shadow.  _ Power of the Fool _ , she thought.

She shook her head, trying to get it back on track. The world his Shadow had created, the reversed, colorless Inaba, had dissolved. That thought gave her pause. Why did it do that? When they'd defeated the others' Shadows, their “worlds” remained in place, giving form to their deepest, darkest secrets long after they'd accepted them. She remembered quite a few humiliating treks through the “Marukyu Striptease” –  _ God I hated that name _ – as they strengthened themselves for the more dangerous battles ahead. She'd never seen it again after they defeated Izanami, though.

_ That was probably why _ , she thought.  _ Izanami was sustaining those worlds. This one, only Souji's Shadow was sustaining. _ She touched his cheek.  _ So much power, so much pain, in such a beautiful man... _

“Miss?” Rise jumped, her heart skipping a beat. A young man in blue scrubs approached, holding a tablet computer. “Can you please help us with the paperwork?”

“Sure,” Rise said. “Um, his name's Souji Seta, and he...”

The nurse held up a hand. “The paramedics gave us his wallet.” She handed a plastic bag to Rise, and she noticed it contained a wallet, a set of keys, and various other items. She placed it on the bed between Souji's legs as the nurse continued, “I need to know what happened to him.”

“Well, we were...at Junes, when the fire alarms went off. We tried to get out, but then there were these explosions, and, uh, he just passed out.” A simple lie, but she didn't believe she'd come even close to making it sound true. Talented actress she was, she was far too preoccupied to “turn it on” as she liked to call it.

“Just passed out...” the nurse said, scribbling notes on the tablet. He looked up at Rise. “He's not the first we've had with these symptoms over the past few days, as you've probably heard on the news. Everyone that's been hit by this arrives in a sleep-like state and within a few hours to a day they just wake up on their own. Problem is, we have too many people coming in right now and need to free up space in the ER. We have to move him to a room for observation, at least so we can treat the minor injuries out there. Are you family?”

“I'm his wi - fiancee,” Rise said, deciding an instant too late to go with the first lie.

“I...see,” the nurse said. “Does he have any family nearby?”

“I don't count?”

“Sorry, only immediate family.”

Rise wanted to kick herself hard in the shin for choosing the wrong lie. “U-um, what about...what if I'm his common-law wife?” She cringed.  _ Why the hell can't I tell a good fib today? _

The nurse raised an eyebrow. “You're no older than 25.”

Rise sighed loudly. “Sorry, I just...his uncle, I guess. Lieutenant Ryotaro Dojima with the Inaba police. He was Souji's guardian for a year back in, uh, it was '11.”

“Do you have his contact information?”

“I've got his number here,” she said, pulling out her phone. She searched the directory for his number, and while there was a “Souji's uncle” listing, the note said “home”. She was sure he wouldn't be home, but it was the only number she had. She dialed it and pressed Send...

...and heard three rising tones before a female voice said, “ _ I'm sorry, that number is no longer in service...” _

“Huh?” she said. She checked the display, but as far as she knew it was right. “That's weird...I, uh, guess I don't have his number.”

“If he works with the police we'll try to get ahold of him through them,” the nurse said. “In the meantime we'll be moving him upstairs shortly. I really shouldn't do this since you're not family, but since you came in with him I'll clear you to go with him. We'll be back to get his vitals in just be a few minutes.”

The nurse walked away before she could say anything, even to thank him. While it concerned her that they'd decided to move him to another room so quickly, at least they'd get some privacy.  _ And a little quiet _ , she thought. The din even inside the ER was loud enough to make her ears ring.

She took Souji's hand and kissed his forehead. “Don't worry, I'm sure they'll all be here soon. And I'm not gonna leave you. Ever.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ride to the hospital was mostly quiet, everyone somewhere between exhausted and stunned. They had just fought the battle of their lifetime, the  _ second time _ for some of them. Of course, they were also contending with the apparent news of Souji and Rise's engagement. Not that it was anywhere as big deal to all of them as their defeat of the Shadow and of Loki, but it was indeed a shock.

Yukiko had been watching the town fly by through the window, the rain running trails down and toward the rear of it. She had so many questions, and yet none of them had words. No, one of them had words. Words she needed to speak before they burst out of her. “Nanako-chan?”

Nanako, sitting beside her, said, “Yeah?” Yukiko could tell the girl's eyes were heavy. Heavy with worry, heavy with sleep. She loved the little girl that Nanako had been, as if she'd been her own sister. For a time, she  _ had _ . It had been a bit awkward after she and Souji broke up, though she'd always made a point of dropping by to see her, and Nanako had always been glad. At least, as far as she could tell. Such a kind girl, she almost never flashed an angry eye.

Hopefully she was as close to her “Big Bro” as she always used to be. “Is, uh, do you know...” She sighed. “Is it true? About – about Rise and...and...”

“I don't know,” Nanako said, even though she'd known it was a lie the instant it had escaped Rise's lips. She didn't want to be in the middle of this lovers' quarrel, if that was what it really was. From what she could sense from Yukiko, that was what it felt like.

“But you were with them,” Yukiko said. “When we came to the house, I mean.”

“I wasn't there all the time,” Nanako said. “Only, like, a couple hours before all hell broke loose.”

_ Kind girl, with a bit of a harsh mouth _ , Yukiko thought. “But you stayed in touch with him. You and Rise talked. She must've said...” She stopped when a hand squeezed her shoulder from behind.

“Hey, Yukiko,” Chie said, “c'mon. Don't harangue her about it. It's been a rough day for everyone.”

Nanako was glad for the interruption because she was, quite frankly, irritated at Yukiko's gall in asking these questions as if she deserved an answer. How could she get married without telling Souji? Did she respect him that little? “It's okay, Senpai,” she said, putting on her kindliest smile, “but I really don't know. There really wasn't that much time for us to talk. I kinda slept through most of the day before you guys...came around.”

“Oh,” was all Yukiko said. She wanted to say more but couldn't. Her lips wouldn't form the words, her tongue was too numb to assist. But why? Why was she feeling like this? It didn't make sense to her. She was worried about her friend – yes, her  _ friend _ – but the thought of him and Rise...of him and  _ anybody _ ...made her feel sick in the pit of her stomach. Almost like she'd felt while they were making that final drive to Junes, trying to keep their stomachs down as the world itself seemed to be turning on them.

_ I don't love him anymore, I don't. Not like that. So why can't I let this go? _ She turned back to the window, watching the rain make more streams across the glass, seeing the other cars spray mists behind them as they tossed up water from the pavement.  _ Raining outside. Inside, too. _

The officer driving the SUV pulled it as close as he could get to the ER entrance, which was packed with cars, ambulances, and people. Dojima said, “I guess he wasn't the only one.” He turned back to the others. “Everyone still want to go in?”

“Of course!” Teddie said, leaping from Margaret's lap and yelping as he bumped his head into the ceiling.

“Do you even have to ask?” Chie said, tacking a “sir” on the end as an afterthought.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “I mean, it's been totally screwed up lately. We gotta make it – right, you know?”

“I think,” Ryotaro said. The car pulled up. “All right, let's go.” They filed out of the car and started their way toward the crowd at the door.

“So this is a hospital,” Margaret observed. “Quite a popular location.”

“I wish that were it,” Taro said. “Trust me, you don't want to see a crowd at a hospital.”

“I know,” Margaret said. “I was trying to – help lighten the mood.”

“Try again,” Yosuke muttered.

“Well, I suppose I could try a joke. Two men enter a restaurant...”

“No!” Taro, Yosuke, and Chie all said it at once. Margaret raised an eyebrow and turned away. “Sorry,” Taro said, touching her arm. “It's just – nobody feels like laughing right now.” He looked around her and, for a second, thought he saw a tear run down her cheek. “Margaret?”

She turned back to him, her face completely dry and serene. “I will – try to do better.”

“You all right?” Taro said.

“Of course,” Margaret said. While he didn't know her very well, Taro didn't believe that she was all right. He chose not to ask, though.

As they reached the crowd Ryotaro pulled out his badge and held it up. The security guard at the door waved to him and forced the crowd to part, allowing them through. The inside wasn't much different from the outside, though. It was crowded and loud, with people trying to push their way up to the front desk, apparently shouting out every malady they could think of, from “shingles” to “lupus” to “the shits”. He really hoped the person shouting out “the shits” either was lying, or was wearing a diaper.

From the bits and pieces she could pick out from the cacophony of thoughts, Nanako could tell they were a combination of the injured and the families of both the injured and the unconscious. Apparently, a side effect of all the Memflies being taken away was that half the people in Inaba had been hurt in one way or another. “Now what?” she said.

There was a siren from outside, and a moment later two uniformed paramedics were pushing a gurney through the crowd and toward a set of double doors by the desk. The doors were guarded by a nurse and a uniformed security guard who allowed the paramedics through, bypassing the overwhelmed check-in desk and the vastly overworked attendant behind it.

Ryotaro led them there. “Excuse me, did you check in a young man, about...?”

“Excuse me?” the nurse said. “Speak up please.”

“Did you check in a young man, gray hair, about twenty or so?”

The nurse gestured to the desk. “Sir, you're gonna have to wait your turn.”

“I'm asking you now,” he said, pulling out his badge. “Young man, gray hair, came in on an ambulance. He in there?”

“I – I don't know,” the nurse said.

Ryotaro slid past her toward the officer at the door. “Let us in.”

The officer shook his head. “Sir, I can't...”

“Know how bad it'd be for your career for your supervisor to get a complaint from a police lieutenant about your lack of professionalism?”

The officer stared at him for a moment, and then without a word pushed open the door, ushering them all in. “That's better,” Ryotaro said.

Once they were inside Chie immediately said, “Rise-chan!” They could see her walking by a bed being wheeled out of one of the bays.

Rise turned to them. “Hey guys! C'mon, they're moving him to a room.”

The team was at her side in a minute. “So what's with running off like that, anyway?” Chie said.

“Hey, cool down,” Yosuke said to her in a low voice. “If it was me you would've run off too.”

“Yeah, but you're my...and she's...uh,  _ is _ she?”

“Sensei! How is he?” Teddie said, practically leaping onto the bed with Souji, Taro having to pull him away while the orderlies shouted at him.

“Hey, calm down there,” Taro said.

“But...but...Sensei, c'mon! Time to wakey wakey!” He tapped Souji's cheeks.

“Cut it out!” Yosuke said, smacking Teddie's hands away.

Yukiko looked down at Souji's unconscious form as soon as she reached it. He looked so peaceful, as if he were just sleeping. Like the commotion surrounding him could wake him up at any second.  _ So cute...  _ She had started to lift her hand so she could touch his cheek, but immediately stopped herself and thrust the hand back down to her side. What the hell was wrong with her? She turned away in frustration, mostly at herself. If all her Memflies were gone, why couldn't she keep her head straight?

The orderlies wheeled the bed into the corridor, which was separated from the ER waiting room by a locked door and was thus free of the crowds outside.

“Hey, is one of you family?” A nurse caught up with them just as the reached the corridor.

“We all are!” Teddie said.

“That's not what she meant,” Yosuke said.

“I'm his uncle,” Ryotaro said. “Good enough?”

While the nurse and Ryotaro fell back to discuss paperwork, Nanako kept pace with the head of the bed, staring down at Souji. Staring at him, because she didn't want to look at anything else. She hated hospitals with a passion. She had almost died in one.  _ No, I  _ did  _ die _ , she thought.  _ In this same one, as a matter of fact. _ She hated the smell, hated the chill from the turned-up-slightly-too-high air conditioning. It wasn't just her own experience; her father had told her of coming here,  _ this same goddamn hospital _ , she thought again, to identify her mother's body. The day he told her that was the only day she ever remembered seeing her father cry. He had been perfectly sober, sitting on the sofa as they watched TV together, and he'd suddenly turned it off and invited her to sit with him. He said he'd wanted to tell her a story.

By the end of the “story” they had been hugging, her face soaked with tears, and hearing her father's quiet, choking “I'm-a-man-so-I-don't-cry” sobs to the side of her head had made it only worse. It was the closest they'd ever been, and she couldn't think of a moment since when he'd again shared that vulnerable side of himself with her. It was the first time she understood just how much he loved her, and how much he needed her. That he, the tough dad and cop, would so let his guard down settled any doubts that her father truly loved her.

And then her thoughts turned back to her mother. The apparition of her mother she'd seen beside him, who disappeared as soon as she noticed that Nanako had seen her. Why? Fear? Shame? Nanako wanted to see her again. She'd lost her mother once, and almost lost her Big Bro twice in the same week. She knew he was in there, but he was just –  _ lost _ . After all the loss she wanted something to be  _ found _ . She wanted call her Persona, focus every bit of energy she had left to find her again, try to talk to her, if only to ask her  _ why _ .

Of course, summoning her Persona in the hospital would be frowned upon.  _ Sorry, little lady, but you can't call that out in here. You have to take it outside with the smokers. _ That thought made her chuckle just a little. She immediately put a hand to her mouth and tried to stifle it, but it was too late. Eyes were now upon her, though only a few. Rise was still focused on Souji, or perhaps just making a point of not looking at the others, especially Yukiko. She could feel the conflicted emotions radiating from her Big Bro's “fiancee”, and also from Yukiko, who also seemed to be avoiding looking at Rise.

“What's so funny, Nana-chan?” Teddie asked.

“N-nothing,” Nanako said. “I wasn't...wasn't laughing.” She tried her best to summon tears, play it off as if it had been a stifled sob, but for all the pain and worry she felt, tears would not come. She settled for rubbing her eyes, and doing so she realized how dry they were. Rubbing them made them burn, and finally some tears came forward.  _ Please don't tell me I'm turning into a boy. _

“Aw, Nana-chan,” Teddie said, placing an arm around her shoulder. He hadn't grown a centimeter since she'd first known him, at least based on the fact that he still wore some of the same clothes, but after her latest growth spurt she was about his same height. It was no surprise to her; both her parents had been tall in relation to their peers, though it had made her stand out just that little bit more. Not only had Teddie's body not changed, but his mind hadn't matured either, leaving him caught somewhere between ten and mid-teens. She'd heard how he talked about “scoring” with girls, and while she didn't believe he quite understood what that really meant, once  _ she _ learned what it meant it had begun to worry her. Would he someday want to “score” with her? She made a mental note to kick his ass if he tried, if for no reason other than to save him from a much worse ass-kicking doled out by her father.

Now, though, he was a friend, and she welcomed any comfort she could get. “I'm okay,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I – I can feel him in there,” she said. “Real deep, but he's there. I think – I think if we help him, he can find his way back.”

“I'll help him,” Rise said. “I'm not leaving his side.” For the first time, this made Yukiko look at her, her face blank but her eyes betraying a feeling even she didn't understand. Jealousy. Resentment.  _ Ressentiment _ , she thought, though she wasn't quite sure why that word came to mind, or even what it meant. It sounded familiar, and she vaguely remembered it coming from a mouth with big horse teeth and a sharp tongue. Pondering the word gave her only a brief distraction from how the word made her feel.

The further they traveled down the seemingly-endless corridor, though, the more Yukiko fell behind. Something about the hospital – she couldn't face it.  _ No, it's not the hospital, stupid. You know exactly what it is. _

“Hey, Yukiko, you all right?” She saw that Chie had fallen back with her.

“Huh? Oh, uh, n-not really,” Yukiko said. “I'm – I think I need to go home.”

“This is 'cause of Rise-chan, isn't it?” Chie said in a low voice. Chie was always able to read her so easily. Sometimes it really pissed her off.

“I don't...” She sighed. “Maybe. Look, just please tell everyone I'm sorry. I have to check back at the Inn.” She turned and started walking back toward the ER.

“Hey, hold on!” Chie said, catching up with her. When Yosuke called to her she said, “Just a minute!” Then, to Yukiko, “Look, Yukiko, if you're gonna go home I'm going with you.”

“No,” Yukiko said, “please. I just – I need to be alone. To think. You should stay, though. See how Souji's doing.” She increased her pace a little, and Chie gave up on following. With a sigh Chie turned back and jogged toward the group.

“Where's she going?” Yosuke said.

“Home,” Chie said.

“Why?”

“I'll tell you later.”

“Where  _ we _ going, anyway?” Taro said. “The hospital doesn't look this big from outside.”

“Fifth floor,” one of the orderlies said. “North wing.”

Yosuke leaned over the bed toward Rise. “So, Rise-chan, um – fiancee? Really?”

Rise didn't say anything, nor did she even look up at them. After a moment Margaret said, “I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand. 'Fiancee' means they plan to marry, correct? If so, wouldn't that be a happy occurrence? The mere mention of it seems to make you all more upset.”

Taro leaned toward Margaret and whispered as quietly as he could, “He didn't tell anyone. He and Yukiko-san used to be together.”

“Together...oh, as in, they were lov...” Taro clamped his hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Maybe you should just ask me these things quietly before speaking up,” Taro said. “No offense, but tact doesn't seem to be your strong point.”

Yosuke cleared his throat. “Man, I don't get it. Why's everything gotta be such a big mess? Can't we just get a minute where it's not all crazy drama?”

“I'm sorry, I appear to have...” started Margaret after Taro uncovered her mouth.

“It's all right,” Taro interrupted. “Just – let's not talk about it, okay?”

Nobody directly answered Yosuke, and he didn't feel compelled to press the issue. The combination of tiredness and worry kept them silent as the filed into the elevator, just barely squeezing in around the bed on which Souji lay blissfully unconscious.

Within a few minutes they were on the fifth floor, and finally reached the room in which Souji was, apparently, to remain until he awakened. It was a double room, Souji being moved to the half by the window, but the other half by the door was empty. “A private room?” Ryotaro remarked.

“This is the long-term care ward,” one of the orderlies said. “A lot of patients have been moved to other hospitals.” He paused as they lifted Souji from the ER bed into the wider, more elaborate one already in the room, Rise snatching up the bag from between his legs. “Families got nervous about everything happening and transferred them. Kinda helps make it easier, the extra beds with all the people in the ER right now. He'll probably have a roommate by the end of the day.”

A nurse came in immediately, wheeling in a device on a stand. She turned it on and clipped something onto Souji's finger. The device started beeping immediately, and a yellow “64” appeared on its display with a blinking green digital heart. The rain was pattering hard against the window now, and it made a strange synchronous beat with the beeping device. As the nurse left, promising the doctor would be in shortly, Rise sat down in the stool by the bed, clasping Souji's limp hand in hers. She brushed a few strands of hair from his face and cupped his cheek. “You're gonna be okay,” she said, not caring if the others heard her. “Just hang in there. It's all over. You just gotta find your way back, 'kay, Senpai? Just find your way back to me.”

“To us,” Teddie said, standing on the other side and taking Souji's other hand. Rise looked up at him and he smiled his winning “Teddie” smile at her. She smiled back, despite herself, and looked back down. The steady pitter-patter of the rain and the heart monitor were the only sound for a moment.

“Rise-chan,” Teddie said. “So, um – are you and Sensei really...you know...fiancee and fiancee?”

“Teddie...” Yosuke said.

“Oh, yeah, um...no,” Rise said, finding it hard to look up at them but looking up anyway. She squeezed Souji's hand a little more tightly. “I, uh – I just kinda blurted it out so they'd let me come with him.” She decided to omit the fact that she'd later tried to pass herself off as his wife, however unsuccessful she was at it. There was a collective sigh of relief. “Well jeez, like it'd be a bad thing!” she said.

“It's not that,” Nanako said, glad that the lie was out in the open now. “It's just...um...”

“Yuki-chan's really upset,” Teddie said.

“Teddie!” Yosuke said again. “Sometimes I think I oughta staple your lips shut.”

“That's a hell of a thing to lie about,” Chie said, ignoring him. Her voice sounded accusing, though her expression was less so.

Not that that made Rise feel any better. Her eyes fell to the floor. Part of her was concerned about that, about hurting Yukiko's feelings, but another part didn't really care. Yukiko had gone and gotten married without telling Souji, right? Did she really have any place to be upset?

“All right, all right,” Taro said, “look, we're all worked up right now, we don't need to be tearing at each other. Rise-san, what did the doctor say?”

“Doctor hasn't seen him yet. They just brought him in and moved him right back out.” Rise said, dropping Souji's bag onto the floor and sinking further onto the stool. “Listen, guys...I – I didn't...”

“It's all right,” Nanako said. “I know you didn't mean to hurt her feelings.” When Rise looked up at her she tapped her temple. “I know it,” she whispered.

Before anyone else could speak a woman in a white coat entered, her thick-soled white clogs making a squishing, squeaking sound on the smooth tile. “Good afternoon. I'm Doctor Koga.” She stepped past the others, as if in a hurry, and snatched the clipboard from the foot of the bed. “Souji Seta,” she said. “Friends?”

“Family,” Nanako said. The others nodded in agreement.

“Well, I'm going to have to ask you all to step over there for a few minutes,” she said, pointing toward the far end of the room by the door. A different nurse entered from that direction, a hospital gown draped over his arm and wheeling in a cart with various tools on it.

“C'mon, Senpai,” Nanako said, placing her hand on Rise's and tugging. Rise sighed, and after a moment let Nanako lead her away from the bed. Koga pulled the curtain around the bed, completely obscuring Souji and the bed from their view.

Rise found the others staring at her, and pulled away from Nanako's hand, electing to stand in the corner looking out the window. Through the rain she could see what was apparently a courtyard below, meticulously groomed but abandoned in the downpour.

“I can't believe she made that up,” Chie said quietly.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “She's...really got it for him. Kinda like before.”

“Well, Yukiko's really upset.” Chie gestured toward Rise. “She left, said she was gonna walk back to the Inn.”

“Man,” Yosuke said. “You know, I kinda thought she was over him. I mean, over how they used to be.”

“Guess not,” Chie said. “Every now and then when we'd be talking about something and he'd come up, she always changed the subject.”

Yosuke shook his head. “Never thought it'd end like this.”

“Like what?” He turned to Nanako, staring straight at him, her eyes intense and unblinking. “End like what?”

“Well, I mean...you know, it just seems like we're all...I don't know, all split up. I mean, I didn't think we'd all be, like, best friends forever or anything, but it's just all a mess. We all faced death together, and now it's like it's all you can do to get us together again.” He gestured to Rise. “She's pissed. Yukiko's pissed. Naoto doesn't even want to be around us apparently, like Kanji's been for years now.” He turned to Chie. “Just a mess.”

Chie placed a hand on his cheek and pulled him into an embrace. “We all just...grew up. Maybe a little too quick. We all want it to be like it was when we were kids, but it won't be like that again.” She glanced at Nanako. “Don't grow up too fast, 'kay? Sometimes it really sucks.”

Nanako, having prepared to go off on Yosuke for what she thought was going to be his dismal outlook on Souji's condition, was still trying to deflate her flash of anger. She turned away from them, trying to focus away from the misery that had apparently permeated everyone's mood. And yet even when she wasn't looking for it, she felt it prickling into her from all directions, filling her with the disappointments of new adults realizing the world was not the magical place for them to conquer that they had once thought it...

Out the corner of her eye she saw another figure, one rimmed in white, standing beside her father. It vanished when she turned to look at it, but she knew it had been there. She still felt it there. Memories of the vision of her mother, which she had seen quite clearly when she summoned her Persona at Junes, returned to her. She stepped up to him and grabbed his sleeve. “I need to talk to you, Dad.”

“Sure, what is it?”

She pulled him out into the hallway, the others only watching as they left. “You know what it's about. Mom.”

Ryotaro drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah.”

“You've been seeing her. Talking to her.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“And you didn't tell me.”

“She told me not to...”

“...because I couldn't make the choices I'd need to make if I saw her. Yeah, I got it.”

“She brought my memories back that first day,” he said. “Everything I knew beyond that, about everyone having to stay at the house, everything, was what she told me.”

“All right. Well, now I know about her and it's too late to convince me otherwise. So I wanna talk to her.”

“Nanako...”

“I'll summon my Persona right here in the hospital if I have to,” she said, pulling her card out of her pocket. “Maybe it'll work or maybe not, but I'll run around this whole building shouting 'Persona' until they put me in a rubber room!”

“You really  _ are _ as stubborn as your father.”

Nanako gasped and spun around to see a woman standing there, her kimono flowing in a breeze that wasn't there, her edges trimmed with shimmering white. Nanako knew her face immediately; she'd memorized it from the photos her father had shown her. She dropped her Persona card onto the floor. “Mom.” It was a statement of truth, at least the truth she thought she knew. But there was something...not quite right about it.  _ I'm looking at a ghost, of course there's something not right. _ But that still didn't seem like it. Something she just couldn't touch, something just beyond the edge of what she could perceive, rippling into her senses...

Chisato walked around her to Ryotaro's side. “Just so people won't think you're talking to yourself,” she said, turning to Ryotaro. “You were right.”

Nanako stared for a good long moment. This was her mother. Her  _ mother _ . The woman who married her father, who gave birth to her, who was taken from her so many years ago, when she was little more than a newborn. “What was ...what was he right about?” Nanako said. The tiny little doubt was still tugging at her, a little more insistently now, and she couldn't just dismiss it.

“That you'd figure out about your mother,” Ryotaro said. “I didn't think I'd be able to keep her from you forever.”

Nanako felt the urge to smack him in the arm as punishment but her body was a statue, sneakers welded to the tile and joints locked. “You should've told me,” Nanako said. “You didn't trust me.”

“It's more serious than that,” Chisato said. “All humanity depends on you now. You, Souji, and your friends.”

Nanako stared at her for a moment, the words hanging in silence. Ryotaro started to speak but Nanako interrupted, “No.” She felt surprise to hear the word come out of her mouth, but it was right. She knew it somehow. It wasn't her mind talking, nor her longing to see her mother once again, to speak to her for the first time in her life. It was her instinct taking over, and the one thing she'd learned over the past couple days was that it, like nothing else, was to be trusted.

Ryotaro looked to Chisato in shock, and while she had her own confused expression, she looked almost as if she'd been expecting this. “What did you say?” Chisato said.

“I said no,” Nanako said. “Who the hell are you?”

“Nanako!” Ryotaro said, but Chisato held up a hand, her expression serene.

“I asked you a question! Who...the... _ hell _ ...are...you?”

“I'm your moth...”

“No you're not,” Nanako said. “You're not even human. You're not something that ever  _ used _ to be human!” She could tell she'd drawn the attention from those in Souji's room, and others in the hallway, but she didn't care. Her weariness had taken away her inhibition. Or, perhaps, it had allowed her inner voice, the one so directly connected to her powers of perception, and to her repressed frustrations, to take control.

Ryotaro looked from Nanako to Chisato and back. “What are you saying?”

“I knew this would happen,” Chisato said. “I knew it would be difficult for you to accept, especially after all you've been through, but please believe...”

“Oh, don't give me that,” Nanako said. “This is why you didn't want Dad to tell me about you, wasn't it? Because I'd see right through you?” She was sure now. Yes, she was right. This thing wasn't her mother. She stepped around them toward the door to Souji's room, her back to it. “Whatever –  _ who _ ever you are, you stay away from me. Him. All of us, you got that?” She stabbed her index finger toward Chisato. “We beat a god just now, and we'll do the same to you, whatever you are, if you don't leave us alone. Got it?” She backed into the room, grabbed the door handle, and swung it shut in a wide, violent arc. The closing mechanism didn't allow it to slam, but it made a foreboding  _ whump _ as she leaned hard onto it.

Nanako ran from the door, past the others to Rise and gripped her tightly, Rise letting out a gasp. “N-Nanako-chan? What...what...” The worst fears entered her head. She'd heard Nanako shouting in the hallway even if she hadn't heard exactly what was said. What could Nanako have heard? Was Souji...was he...?

“Not my mom,” Nanako said into her shoulder. “Not my mom. Not her. Not her.”

Rise slowly raised her hands and hugged her, patting her head gently. She glanced to the others who, before, had been chatting with each other, trying to dispel their nerves while the doctor did her work. Now they were staring at the conjoined pair, confusion and concern in their eyes. Rise shook her head to them and, to Nanako, “Not your mom?”

“No, not her. I wanted to see her and I did but it wasn't her and I saw her but it was a lie.”

“Who was it?”

“I don't know I don't know,” Nanako said, her voice growing quieter with each word. “Don't...know....”

Back in the hallway, Ryotaro turned to Chisato, whose look of utter shock was one he barely recognized. No, for an instant he thought he saw that face of serenity, an “I was expecting that” face, but it must have been his imagination. She looked as completely flabbergasted over Nanako's outburst as he felt, but before he could try to speak to to her she faded out of existence. He found himself standing alone in the hallway against the shut door.

At the nurses' station nearby, one of the nurses was staring at him. “Uh...um, terrible teens,” he said, opening the door and slipping back into the room. He saw Nanako holding Rise tightly and murmuring to her, though he couldn't hear what they were saying. “Nanako?”

She didn't reply, and it didn't surprise him. The others looked at him questioningly, but he simply shook his head.

The curtain opened and everyone's attention was immediately drawn and they could see Souji was now clad in a thin hospital gown, wires running to several electrodes tacked to his on his body and an oxygen tube under his nose. The nurse wheeled the cart out of the room and Doctor Koga, still scribbling onto the chart, approached the group. “Which of you is Ryotaro Dojima?”

“I'm Lieutenant Dojima,” Ryotaro said, pulling out his badge and showing her.

The nurse gave a half-smile. “That's really not necessary, sir. Can we talk in private for a moment?”

“No way,” Yosuke said. “We're all his friends, we can take it.”

“It's all right,” Ryotaro said. He glanced over to see Rise and Nanako approaching, Nanako's eyes red and raw.

“All right,” Koga said, glancing over them before turning back to Ryotaro. “As far as we can tell he's asleep. That's the closest equivalent. It's not too dissimilar from what we've seen in quite a few other patients recently, who have been near the...incidents and were suddenly stricken unconscious. Unlike the others, though, he's completely unresponsive to stimulus. His pupils don't even contract. It's as if his brain itself is just...switched off.”

“You...you don't mean...” Rise said, her voice choked and barely audible, “he's...brain-dead?”

“His symptoms don't... _ directly _ match those of someone in a vegetative state. We need to run some more intensive tests to get to the bottom of his condition. We're going to do an MRI, then connect him to an EEG...a device that measures brain activity. We're going to try to map out what, if anything, is happening in his brain.”

“And...and if he's...a vegetable?” Chie said.

Koga shook her head. “Too soon to tell. We need to do the tests first. Dojima-san, we'll need you to sign for these. MRI, Cat scan, all noninvasive for now.” She handed him the clipboard and pointed to one section. “Sign here, and you authorize us to run the noninvasives.”

“And if those don't work?” Ryotaro said, signing his name and handing her the clipboard.

“We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.” She bowed her head slightly, returned the clipboard to the foot of the bed, and then left with the signed form folded in her hand.

“She's wrong,” Nanako said. “He's not 'switched off'. He's there. I don't care what she says, he's in there and he's gonna come back.”

Rise took her hand and squeezed. “You know it, don't you?”

Nanako sniffled and nodded. “Yep.”

Rise released her hand and returned to Souji's side. “Hear that? They're gonna help you. So meet us halfway, okay?” She took his hand as the others gathered around. “Squeeze my hand. Twitch an eyebrow. Something. Just let us know you're in there somewhere, okay?”

“Rise-chan,” Teddie said.

She looked up and realized she had also started crying. She swiped a hand across her eyes. “Sorry...”

“Don't be,” Taro said. “But don't worry. I believe Nanako-san's right. They'll take good care of him, and he'll be right back with us. Right, everyone?”

“Y-yeah,” Yosuke said. “Don't worry about it, Rise-chan. He's gonna be fine.”

“Yeah,” Chie said. “I got knocked out like this before, too, and I woke up fine after.”

“Souji-san's strong,” Margaret said. “Both in body and in spirit. He will recover soon.”

Rise saw them all watching her, aside from Nanako, whose red eyes were on Souji, lips muttering something she couldn't hear. His Little Sis.  _ My Little Sis _ , Rise thought, and the idea made her heart swell.  _ My family, all of them _ . For a brief moment she wished she could stay in Inaba when all this was done. She knew that wouldn't happen, that she would again grow to miss her life as a superstar, but the thought of staying if just for a while gave her a little hope. Souji would wake up, and they would all rekindle the friendship they'd had those years ago.

_ It's just a shame it took another supernatural crisis to bring us together again. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trip from Junes to the bed and breakfast had been quiet, Kanji saying nothing as he leaned against his door, despite Naoto's attempts at conversation. For a while she'd thought he'd fallen asleep, but upon seeing him with his eyes open, watching the passing scenery even as his face was otherwise expressionless, she knew he simply didn't want to talk.

The thundering silence continued as he tried, and failed, to get out of the cruiser under his own power and she practically had to carry him inside the relatively small building, refusing the officer's assistance. She helped him pull his shoes off at the door, and then supported him as he led them to his room. Once inside he immediately collapsed onto the bed, rain-wet clothes and all, and turned away from her toward the wall.

“Kanji?” she said, standing by the bed. Her hair was wet and clung to her face, and the water dripping down her cheek tickled a little, prompting her to scratch it reflexively. She stood and watched him, waiting for a response. After a few minutes, when she could hear his breathing had slowed, she turned to leave.

“Thanks,” he said, and then nothing more.

“You're welcome,” she'd replied, and then tiptoed out to the corridor.

She closed the door behind her slowly. There handle on the outside didn't turn, so she pulled as gently and slowly as she could until she heard the latch snap into place in the doorjamb. She stayed just outside the door, taking a moment to absorb the interior. This was certainly a quaint little establishment, the décor looking far more Victorian than Japanese, complete with Western-style doors. It was about as far from a reminder of home as Kanji could have, and she supposed it was exactly what he needed right now. If she didn't know Dojima had chosen it out of convenience, she would have sworn he'd selected it for just that purpose.

She didn't know the Lieutenant very well personally, though from what she'd heard and seen, and from what Souji had once let slip, thoughtfulness was never his strong suit.

She crept gently along the creaky wooden floor, which was probably due more to lack of upkeep rather than ambiance, to the front door, slipped on her shoes, and stepped outside onto the porch. The air was warm and heavy, the rain making a gentle, constant waterfall sound as it struck every exposed surface. She could hear it patter against the porch's tin roof, and could imagine sitting there, reading a book for hours on end, and eventually falling asleep. What she didn't look forward to was stepping back out into the rain. It had starting raining fully by the time the police cruiser had dropped them off, and while her clothes and hair hadn't gotten particularly wet in the short, slow walk up to the stoop of the porch with Kanji's arm over her shoulder, the humid air both inside and out had allowed them to dry very little in the time hence.

She really wished she hadn't lost her cap, which was probably sitting somewhere amongst the flowers and grass in the restored Shadow World. She should've gone back to her room at the Inn and grabbed her spare, the newer one she'd received for her last birthday, but she missed the old cap. It had been with her for years, ever since her head had finally stopped growing to the size it was currently. It was the cap that had seen her through many cases, and many trips into the Shadow World.

_ The Shadow World. We just came from there. We went in to rescue Souji, and we succeeded against all odds. We defeated his Shadow, and then a god. _

_ No,  _ she corrected herself,  _ he defeated a god. _

_ Which proves how dangerous he is. And you failed to stop him when you had the chance. _

Bitter shame gnawed at her belly. She'd had her gun, fully loaded and ready to fire. She had pulled it out, and then...chance. Mere chance. It was knocked from her hand and then that fox...that damn fox...

_ His protector _ , she thought.  _ It's been at his side as long as you've known him. _

_ Yes. I've always known there was something...strange about that fox. Supernatural. _

_ You will not be able to finish him with that thing at his side. You are only a mortal. _

Naoto stopped. Mortal? What did that mean? Why would that come to mind? Of course she was mortal. And that fox was mortal, too. The thing was burned and injured the night before, and hurt worse in the battle. How could it...

_ Oinari _ , she thought.  _ The Shadow called it 'Oinari' _ . Naoto had never been religious, choosing to believe in what empirical evidence told her. Until she had joined up with the “Investigation Team” she had never believed in the supernatural. And yet even now that she knew of the  _ existence _ of gods she refused to worship them, believing them, rather than “higher” beings, to be more like advanced creatures that, through evolution, she supposed, became to humans what humans were to insects. Immensely more powerful, and yet still vulnerable to the innate power of humans. Some insects had the power to kill humans, after all. Likewise, some humans could kill a god. Special humans.  _ Power like a venom _ , she thought.

_ The devil's greatest accomplishment was convincing the world he did not exist. _

She'd heard that quote before, though she wasn't quite sure from where. Nor was she sure why it came to mind now. Of course, she knew gods existed. She'd helped fight one and defeat it. Certainly, it could have all been a hallucination, but believing that would require more stretching for the truth than admitting that what she had seen with her own eyes, what she'd heard with her own ears, was real.

_ Oinari. _ While not a Shintoist herself, Naoto was well versed in its mythology even before she had first encountered the supernatural events of seven years ago. She studied all major religions, as a matter of fact, to help her better understand the motivations some individuals have to commit crimes. So many people over so many centuries had committed crimes, murders, massacres in the name of their religions and their gods.

Oinari. Shinto god, or goddess depending on whom you asked, of food. Equated with good fortune, health and... _And foxes._ _Good God, could it be that simple? The fox, a god in mortal form?_ She leaned against the railing, a fine mist washing over her from the warped rain gutter overhead and soaking her even further. A fox with the power to heal wounds, that guards a Shinto shrine. She didn't remember which deity to whom the Shrine in the Shopping District was devoted, but still...it made sense.

She closed her eyes and envisioned the Shrine as it was only a day ago, golden and pristine. And then there was more. Pillows lining either side, for sitting. People sitting on those pillows, dozens of people dressed in formal, traditional clothing. Dark clothing. Funeral garb.

A casket in front of the honden. Glimmering, bathed in the bright sunlight. Two women throwing themselves onto it, crying and screaming for the one inside. After a moment she recognized them as Yukiko and Rise.

Exploring the crowd in her mind's eye, she saw the others. Yosuke, Chie, Namatame, all of them, bowing deeply in reverence for the deceased. She tried to call out to them, but her voice wouldn't work. She tried to scream, but her throat completely closed itself.

There was a bright flash and all eyes were drawn immediately to the casket. It exploded into shards of wood and metal, throwing Yukiko and Rise off it and shredding them, killing them before they even struck the ground.

A figure bathed in green light was now where the casket had been, rising into the air. It spread its arms and focused its eyes – horrible, dead, red eyes – on her. She tried to scream out again, but her voice still would not work. The crowd, however, immediately shot to their feet and, in a panic, ran for the exit.

Black lightning shot from the figure's fingertips, vaporizing everyone it struck. She watched Yosuke and Chie die without leaving behind so much as a puff of smoke.

Nanako broke from the crowd and ran to the form, begging, screaming for him to  _ stop, please Souji stop this _ , but he struck her down with a swipe of his hand, her body exploding into a cloud of ash.

Naoto screamed out, finally finding her voice, but she couldn't move. Couldn't run, but didn't want to. She knew it would do no good. He grinned at her, teeth brown and rotten.  _ This is for trying to kill me and failing _ , the grin seemed to say.

She didn't see the black lightning strike her, but she felt it. Flesh searing, her skin so hot it actually felt cold and wet. She shivered, or maybe it was the lightning causing her muscles to jerk. It didn't matter anymore. It was the end. The end, because she'd failed to act. Her fault. Everyone was dead, and it was all her...

“Miss?”

She snapped her eyes open and gasped. It took her a second to realize she was still on the porch of the bed and breakfast, still standing at the railing, rain mist still splashing her face and hair. It was raining harder than she remembered. She glanced down at her watch. She'd been standing out there for over an hour. Had she fallen asleep standing up?

“Are you all right, young lady?”

She turned to her left to see an old lady standing there. Naoto recognized her as the woman from the bed and breakfast's front desk.

“Yes, I'm fine,” Naoto said. Despite the warm humid air, she felt a chill and suppressed a shiver.

“Are you sure?” the old lady asked. “You've been standing there for quite a while.”

“Yes, thank you. I've just been thinking.”  _ About the end of mankind, _ she thought, unable to stop herself from shivering this time.

“Well, don't spend too long,” the woman said, turning away. “Don't waste too much of your youth on thinking, or else you'll find everything's moved on without you.”

As the woman slowly went back inside, her back hunched and steps shuffling in worn house slippers, Naoto reflected on what she'd just seen. Was it a dream? A premonition?

_ A sign of things to come. _

Souji Seta, the man who killed a god, the man who manipulates the gods, who is protected by them. The man who will bring about the end of the world through his manipulations. Who will become a god himself, a destroyer of mankind through their trust and love.

_ Antichrist. _

Another word she remembered through her studies. While it was from a completely different religion, she understood the meaning behind it. A man who comes claiming to be a savior, who seems to wield the power of God, and manipulates the nations of the Earth into a new age of darkness for humanity.

“ _ You believed that made you a god.” _

That was it. It wasn't enough that Souji had the power to be a god, it was that he  _ believed _ himself to be a god.

_ Now you see. _

Yes, now she saw. It wasn't to stop a criminal, or even a killer. It was to stop one who would make himself a  _ god _ , enshroud the world in darkness, just as Izanami had tried to do. It was what she'd been trying to tell herself all this time, but her logical, thick mind wouldn't let her make the jump. It was ironic that a throwaway comment by his own inner darkness, the most fearsome part of him, had helped her make the connection.

But how could she get past this fox, if it were indeed also a god? As powerful as she was, she knew hers paled in comparison to Souji's, and she doubted she would have the power to defeat even a weakened god.

But he was unconscious, and in the hospital. Or, at least, that's where they had taken him. How long ago? She checked her watch again. Almost two hours. Had Souji awakened yet? She hadn't been out very long when she'd been knocked out at Junes what seemed like a lifetime ago. If she hurried, if she reached him at the hospital, she might still have her chance. Surely a fox couldn't roam free in a hospital. He would be unprotected and vulnerable.

She ran up to the elderly woman, who had just made it back inside the doorway. “Excuse me, ma'am?”

The woman turned to look at her again. “Yes?”

She pulled out an amount of cash from her pocket, not bothering to check how much it was, and held it out to her. “Could you please call me a cab? And quickly. I don't have much time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rise was alone with Souji, the others having decided it best to go home and recover from the day's ordeal. She supposed they would start returning to their normal lives; it was what they all had done years ago. After one of their many battles, they'd each go home, sleep it off, and go to school the very next day as if nothing had happened. It had helped them cope with the stress of risking their lives, worrying more about exams than Personas, if only just for a week at a time. That, of course, and their friendship.

Things were a little more strained now. The optimism of adolescence was gone, replaced with the realism of adulthood. She had felt it every day, and despite her fame and fortune, it had always nagged at her. That emptiness, that fear that something, somehow, everything could be taken away. Was that the feeling of being lonely? Or was it something more?

It had taken an hour for everyone to finally leave, with Nanako and Teddie being the most reluctant. It wasn't that Rise specifically wanted time alone with Souji, but then again, at the time she did. She was bursting to tell him everything, things she didn't want everyone else to hear. And now that he was incapacitated, for some reason she felt like it was the appropriate time.

Margaret, ever the strange one, had simply declared, “He is safe with her here watching him.” Of course, why Margaret would refer to Rise in the third person while she was part of the conversation, she didn't know.

The doctor had come in and declared the hospital officially short-staffed, particularly in the imaging department, and while the doctor didn't say why, Rise was sure it was because they'd fled town.  _ Head for the hills! Forget the sick, they can take care of themselves _ , she'd thought bitterly, though a little piece of her understood. If she didn't understand what had been happening, if she didn't have the power to do something about it, she may well have done the same.

_ Thank God I'm me _ , she thought, and only later would she realize that was the first time she'd ever thought that, in jest or otherwise.

She had promised Nanako she would watch over Souji every minute, and if he so much as stirred she'd call her straight away. Even so, her father had to practically drag her away, something with Nanako liked very little. Something must have happened between them, something about their shouting match in the hallway, that seemed to have formed a rift between father and daughter. Something about her mother, though Nanako hadn't elaborated.

Teddie, on the other hand, had eventually taken Margaret's opinion that he'd be safe with her protecting him. She didn't get why Teddie was also referring to her in the third person, when speaking straight  _ to _ her, but then again, Teddie had always been a little bit weird. He and this Margaret person, for all her power, seemed to be two peas in the pod of weird.

That had been at least a half hour ago. Since then Rise had sitting by Souji's bed, the cushy stool doing little to support her back, but she'd been afraid to get up, to leave his side, if only for the thirty seconds it would take to get the guest chair. She wanted his first vision upon opening his eyes to be a face. Her face in particular, but a face, so he would know he wasn't alone. So he would know he was loved.

Loved. She loved him. And not in that cutesy little teen “I love you Senpai!” way she'd remembered saying it, all those years ago when he left them on that train to wherever. No, it was true love, at least as far as she could fathom true love to be. She was sure of it.

She had spent their time alone discussing trivialities with him, telling him what had been going on in her life, even if she'd already told him before, she couldn't be sure, but it didn't matter. She wanted to talk to him, make her voice an endpoint, she supposed, to help him find his way back from wherever he was.

Now, though, the time for trivialities was done. “Senpai, I have to tell you this. Tell you because I've been bursting to for so long. Because, even though you've been a big part of my life, and it was you who helped me get my life back on track, I never really realized until the past couple days, and I never got a chance to tell you. I was afraid to tell you, I guess, because I wasn't sure how you felt. I mean, I could see, but...” She stopped, and laughed. “God, you're probably in there thinking, 'Would you just get to the point already?' Well, the point is...I love you. I  _ love _ you. I always have, I guess, but, I don't know, maybe I didn't really understand it.”

She scooted the stool closer and brought both of his hands together, clasping them in both of hers. “I always kinda knew, but, you know, being kids together even if only for a few months, there was this connection between us, you know? I thought about it for so long, and figured it was just a crush once I got old enough to know what that was. I thought about what you said, how “We'll be friends forever,” and that made me really happy, 'cause I knew you'd always be in my heart, and I always wanted to be in yours. And I kinda realized, after we were together again these past few days, that's what love is. Just because you're friends doesn't mean you can't love each other. And just because you love each other doesn't mean you can't be friends.

“I always thought about my Mom and Dad, and I never really saw them get intimate, you know? It was always rules, 'don't do this', 'do that,' and stuff like that when I was around, but I think back, and they were always on the same wavelength, you know? They were always connected. I saw it when I was little and they looked at each other, and it was like, they didn't have to look at each other because each was already inside the other, you know?” She laughed again. “I'm talking in circles, huh? It's been a really rough day, and maybe I'm just messed up in the head.

“But I was messed up back then too, wasn't I? I didn't know who I was, what I wanted, and you helped me see it. You didn't tell me who I was or what I had to do, you just made me look into myself and find it on my own. You didn't have to tell me because you were already in there and saw it, get it? So here I am, baring it all to you.” She raised a hand to touch his cheek, and felt her eyes and nose begin to burn. She sniffled, and a tear squeezed its way out of her eye. “So here I am, talking to the bit of me that's in you. And I'm telling you I'm here, and I want you to come back. I don't care if you don't love me back the way I love you, because you still love me like a friend and that's enough. For me. I don't know if we can be together, but even if we aren't I want to be that little piece in you that helped you find your way back.” She leaned forward and kissed his cool forehead, a tear dripping from her eyelash onto his cheek. She looked down at the drop of water, and with her thumb rubbed it into his skin. “I'll cry every tear I've got for you, if I have to. Just you come back to me, 'kay?”

She nuzzled his cheek with her lips for a moment, but then saw something out the corner of her eye. She whirled around, her heart suddenly pounding hard against her ribs.

It was Naoto. “N-Naoto-kun?”

Naoto offered a small smile and bowed her head. Her hair was soaked, plastered flat onto her head, and her outfit looked like it had taken on almost twice its weight in water. “I'm sorry to intrude...”

“N-no, you're...you're not...” The words seemed hollow to her, and she couldn't continue the denial. Naoto had been there for some time, and Rise was sure that, however long she'd been there, it had been long enough.

“Please, you don't need to be embarrassed,” Naoto said.

“I'm not, I just...” Rise sighed. “How's Kanji-kun?”

Naoto's face darkened. “Asleep. He's been through quite an ordeal, like we all have.” She turned down to look at Souji. “Like he has.”

“He hasn't been through anything like Senpai has,” Rise said.

“You still call him 'Senpai',” Naoto observed.

“What do you want?”

Naoto turned back to her, surprised by her sudden bluntness. “To see how he's doing, of course. To see how everyone's doing, though it seems they've gone.”

“It's been a long day, and all that's gonna happen tonight is tests and stuff. Though they were supposed to take him in a while ago. I guess they're just short-staffed.”

“How are  _ you _ doing?”

Rise wasn't sure how sincere Naoto's question was, though she couldn't be sure there wasn't some of her own animosity, still held over from the previous night, making her doubt it. “Uh, okay, I guess.”

“You've been crying,” Naoto said.

“No wonder they call you the genius detective,” Rise said. She sighed. “Sorry, that...was mean. I'm sorry.”

“It's all right,” Naoto said. “I haven't done much lately to make myself worthy of your respect.”

“That's not true,” Rise said. “I mean, in the end you were there for us. When it really counted.”

Naoto merely bowed her head demurely. Of course, she had heard almost every word Rise said. When she was directed to the room and found it nearly empty, she slipped inside and immediately heard Rise's voice. So she'd stood back and listened. Rise was in love with Souji. Not just in love, but deeply devoted. Almost fanatically devoted, from the sound of it. That was very bad. Rise was not about to leave him alone and unguarded for any stretch of time.

It also gave her a pang of regret, in advance of what she had to do. Rise would be crushed, and she didn't deserve that kind of sorrow.  _ She brought it on herself _ , Naoto thought.  _ Don't let your compassion get in the way of justice. _

“I guess if you'd taken our calls and come the first time, there wouldn'tve been much you could've done we didn't do.”

“Ah yes, about that,” Naoto said, pulling her phone from her pocket. “I don't know if this even matters, but I thought you should know. I checked my phone after you...well, after we –  _ met _ last night. It only rang twice: once from you, and once from Yukiko-chan.”

“Huh,” Rise said, not really sure why Naoto was telling her this now, or why it mattered anymore. “And the voicemails?”

“Oh,  _ those  _ were there,” Naoto said. The pressed the speakerphone button and dialed her voicemail number.

“ _ You have seven skipped messages. To play...” _ Naoto pressed “1”, interrupting the recording.

“ _ Naoto-kun, this is Rise. Where are you? We're going back into the Shadow World. Souji-kun went in and...and we gotta...”  _ Naoto pressed “9”. “ _ Message saved. Next message...” _

“ _ Um, hello, this is Yukiko. We've been trying to get ahold of you. Souji-kun...he went into the Shadow World, and...”  _ Naoto pressed “9” again. After the acknowledgment:

“ _ Naoto-kun, this is Rise again. Where the hell are you? We have to go into the Shadow World now, and we need you!” _

Another press of “9”.

“ _ We're going in without you. Um, this is Rise again. Dammit, Naoto-kun, you better get this message and call me back or I swear to God...” _

“Okay, okay,” Rise said, clamping her hands over Naoto's and flipping the phone shut. “I get it. I don't really need to hear myself swearing. Can you just...kinda delete those? Instead of saving them?”

Naoto nodded and put the phone away. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you.”

“Well it worked anyway,” Rise muttered. She looked back up at Naoto. “Look, um, I'm gonna be staying here with Souji-senpai. I mean, everybody else has stuff they have to do, work and school, and you've got Kanji-kun to look after. I'll give you a call if anything changes, but right now I think it's all gonna be just a bunch of tests.”

Naoto nodded. “If you're going to be here for a while, why don't you go freshen up? I – can only imagine how uncomfortable it is to sit in a hospital room all day, especially with the humidity.” She ran a hand through her damp hair. “Case in point.”

Rise shook her head. “I don't want to leave him alone. I don't want him waking up to nobody there and thinking he's all alone in the world. Not...” She shivered. “Not like before, when he was spread all around the Shadow World and we couldn't be there for him.”

“I'll stay with him until you get back,” Naoto said.

“But...I can't – can't leave him...”  _ What are you doing? Naoto's his friend, too. You can trust her. _ “What about Kanji-kun? Don't you need to go back to him?”

“He's asleep,” Naoto said, the saddened look on her face quite real. He hadn't wanted to speak to her at all, acted as if he didn't even want her around, and despite her effort to not read too deeply into it, it still hurt. “Probably will be for quite some time. Don't worry about me, please.”

“Well...” Rise started. She looked down at Souji, as silent as before, and aside from his chest rising and falling slowly, not moving a millimeter. The heart monitor beeped and the rain pounded against the window, providing a discordant beat to the silence. “I – guess. Okay.”

“They have a guest shower just down the hall.” To Rise's puzzled look Naoto added, “I'm a 'genius' detective, after all. I notice things.”

Rise laughed a little. “Guess so. All right, I guess I'll go take a quick shower. Dojima-san offered to get my clothes from the b-and-b. He'll probably be back sometime soon, I guess. Might as well be clean myself when I put on clean clothes.”

Naoto tried not to let the surprise show on her face. She nodded. “I suppose that will be necessary, if you end up staying here overnight.”

Rise's gaze fell. “I hope not. I really hope he wakes up soon. I – well, you heard.”

Naoto nodded. “Go on. He'll be fine, I promise.”

Rise smiled. “Thanks, Naoto-kun.” She stepped forward and gave Naoto a hug, which Naoto, initially surprised, returned, even though it pressed her chilly, wet clothes further into her skin. “I'm so sorry I've been such a bitch.”

“Likewise.”

Rise pulled away. She kissed her finger and touched it to Souji's forehead. “I'll be right back, Senpai. Cross my heart.” With another smile and nod to Naoto, she walked out of the room.

Naoto stared at Souji for exactly ten seconds, until Rise's squeaking footsteps on the tile had gone far enough away that she was sure the other woman was gone. She strode quickly toward the door and, with a quick glance up and down the hall, shut it.

She returned to Souji's side, staring down at his limp form. “You've got them all fooled. Especially her. Fooled so much she loves...loves...” That word got stuck on the end of her tongue, as if coated with glue.  _ Love _ , she thought.  _ Obsession, maybe, but love, too. Could someone genuinely love such a demonic figure? Such an antichrist? _

_ Yes, someone could. Brainwashing comes easy to the manipulative and the evil. _

_ But she won't be easy to convince about his evil. She believes him to be good. They all do. Even Yukiko, who... _

_ Unimportant. _ She wasn't sure how her own mind had interrupted her without her knowing it was going to happen, but her thoughts continued,  _ They will all understand in time. _

_ Will they? And what until then? _

_ You must lay low for a while. Go “on the run”, as they say in those detective movies you so love. _

_ Run away after doing the right thing? _

_ Just because it's the right thing doesn't mean everyone else knows it is. _

Of course, she knew the truth in that statement. Had someone murdered Genghis Khan or Hitler as children, knowing the monsters they would become, to everyone else it would have been the murder of a child. Even with the damage Souji had done, the hell he had wrought upon the Earth, to his friends he was still innocent as a child.

_ But not to you. You know the truth. _

_ Y-yes, I... _ She stopped.  _ Do I? Could I...could I be wrong? Could they be right? _

_ Of course not! _ The power of that thought made her stagger, almost losing her footing on the slick polished floor.  _ Do not lose your resolve now! He will never be more vulnerable! Do it now, before she returns, or before they come in and catch you! _

Staring down at Souji, she felt her mental strength melt away. When she was legally sworn in as a private detective, she took an oath to protect the innocent and the helpless. What she saw before her was the picture of helplessness, even if not of innocence. She couldn't. She couldn't take his life. It was against everything she...

_ You will not abandon your purpose now! You will do as I say! _

She must have blacked out for a moment. She found herself suddenly standing closer to the bed, a white pillow clutched in her hands. She didn't know how it got there, though at next glance she noticed Souji's head was slightly less reclined. She had taken one of the pillows on which he'd been lying. Somehow. She didn't remember doing it.

But she knew what she was to do  _ with _ it.

_ It will look like he choked on his own vomit. The nurses will come, and you will panic because he is your friend and you couldn't stop him from dying. It couldn't be cleaner. Now place it on his face. Press down. Hold it there until he breathes no more. _

“Place it on his face,” Naoto heard herself saying, but wasn't sure anymore if she was speaking the words. She felt her lips, tongue, and jaw move, felt the slight vibration her voice made in her throat as she spoke, but didn't believe she'd made any of them happen. She stepped forward, as if on autopilot again. Her right hand slid forward and pulled the oxygen tube from his nostrils, setting it to rest in his hair. “Place it on his face.” She stood over him, her right hand grabbing the pillow again and her arms moving until the pillow was directly over his head. “Press down.”

She started to lower the pillow. “Press down.”

She didn't have to worry about helplessness or innocence. All she had to do was let it happen. Thirty seconds, a minute at most, and it would be done. “Press down.”

The world would be rid of his evil, and be safe forevermore. She will be its savior, protecting all the innocent and all the helpless from... _ him _ . “Hold it there...hold it there...until...”

_ So close... _

_ So close... _

“...until he breathes no more.”


	18. Lies, Truth, And Control

Nanako entered the house, dragging her feet as she walked, lazily kicking off her damp shoes. Ryotaro came through behind her, closing the door slowly behind him.

She skulked into the living room and plopped down in front of the TV. It took her a moment to remember that the set was destroyed, but she sat there anyway, staring at the empty mass of broken electronics that Margaret, the night before, had carefully set into place on its stand.

“Nanako,” Ryotaro said, standing beside her. “Want to talk?”

She said nothing. She wasn't even sure how to sort out her feelings. She felt heartbroken, nervous, and sad, all at once. Her Big Bro was taken from her yet again. Her hope, however brief, of seeing her mother was taken from her.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You've got to understand, I couldn't.” He sighed. “You should go to bed soon. You need to go back to school tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Ryotaro watched her for a moment longer, and then headed for the stairs. Before he reached them, though, she said, “Sorry.”

“For what?” He returned to the living room.

Still staring at the TV, she said, “For yelling at you. You really thought that was Mom. I can kinda see why you'd wanna believe she's who she is, and do what she says.”

“So you still say she's not your mother,” Ryotaro said. He pulled over a pillow and sat down next to her. “Then who is she?”

Nanako shook her head, and looked up at him. “I don't know. All I know is here,” she pointed to her head, “and here,” she placed a hand on her stomach, “I know that's not her. Maybe she was afraid I'd see through her, and that was why she didn't want you to tell her about me. So I  _ wouldn't  _ see through her.”

“Nanako, is it possible you were just upset? If you give her a chance, maybe-”

“I wanted to believe her,” Nanako interrupted, hanging her head. “I  _ did _ . But everything told me not to. I don't know what she is, but she's not Mom.”

Ryotaro sighed. “She said things to me. What she said, and how she said it – I knew her a lot longer than you did. I don't... _ didn't _ have any doubt she was your mother.”

“You're also heartsick and disappointed in yourself,” Nanako said. She turned back to him, and the haunted look on his face confirmed her observation. “Sorry, I just – you know it's part of my power. I just can't help – blurting stuff out sometimes. I wish I could give it up.”

“You've got a gift,” Ryotaro said, placing his hand on hers. “Different from the others.”

“That's what  _ she _ told you, isn't it?”

“You've got it for a  _ reason _ . Hopefully we'll figure it out soon.”

“I hope Big Bro wakes up soon,” Nanako said. “I wanna put this all behind us.”

“Well, let's say a prayer for him,” Ryotaro said. “Right here, just the two of us.”

Nanako gasped. Some of her favorite memories from childhood, too few and far between for her tastes, were their trips to the Shrines, and praying together as a family. “Really?”

Ryotaro nodded. “It's been too long since we've prayed together. And we'll go see him tomorrow, after you get out of school and I get off work.”

Nanako's smile failed. “What if you can't get off work until late, like usual?”

“I'll find a way,” Ryotaro said. “Family's important. It's about time I start treating you like you are.”

Nanako smiled. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands together.  _ Maybe he's right. Maybe I was just upset, and didn't want to believe, so I just didn't. _ Even now, thinking about it, she felt a sense of dread, but not quite the same. Dread about her Big Bro. But maybe that was her imagination, too. Rise was with him, after all. Watching over him, protecting him. He would be all right.  _ I need to learn to trust other people _ , she thought _.  _ Without friends, without people you could trust with your life, what was there to live for?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...until he breathes no more,” Naoto said again, her voice betraying more of a quiver this time. She stopped, the pillow only centimeters from Souji's face. “U-until...until he...what?”

_ Do it... _

She slid the pillow down until she could see his eyes, and stared down at them. Passive, silent. Dangerous or not, he wasn't harming anyone now. “No...no...this isn't right...this isn't  _ me _ ...I can't....I can't...”

_ DO IT NOW! _

“No...” she said weakly. She felt her hands shake, as if they were trying to act of their own accord. Trying to smother him anyway, despite her own resistance. “No,” she said again, more firmly. Despite that, she could see her hands lower the pillow just a tiny bit more. “No!” she cried out, clenching every muscle in her body, trying to stop it from doing whatever it was trying to do without her consent. “I  _ won't  _ murder him!”

Before she could even think to move away, though, an orange flash appeared before her, striking the pillow in her hands. It slammed hard into her chest, forcing the air out of her lungs and, knocking her backward. She tripped over the rolling stool and her shoe soles, still a little wet from outside, slipped on the tile and her legs flew out from beneath her. She fell, the back of her head cracking on the metal frame of the empty bed, the frame ringing dully with the impact.

She cried out and clenched her eyes shut. Pain washed through her head, and immediately her fingers and toes began to feel numb and she had the urge to vomit. She opened her eyes, the previously dim light in the room now blinding and increasing her pain further. She saw the fox, a white light shining from behind it like a halo, perched on Souji's bed and staring her down. Her head pounded once and she squeezed her eyes shut again, but when she opened them she felt for an instantthat she'd been transported to another place, or another time. Before her was what looked like a woman, naked except for wisps of cloth fluttering about her, seemingly bathed in an even more intense glow of white light than had illuminated the fox. The woman was glaring down at her, the expression in her eyes identical to the one the fox had been giving her, the slitted pupils giving it a more evil appearance now that it came from a human face.

A threat. A warning. “Oinari...” Naoto said, the sound of her own voice making her head throb harder. She scrambled to her feet, having momentary difficulty keeping upright. Her head and stomach both felt like they were about to explode, and her legs had almost no strength in them. She gripped the end of the empty bed to steady herself, but it rolled in her grip and she stumbled backward until she slammed into the wall. She grunted as her head hit it, the pain so intense that, for a few seconds she wept uncontrollably.

The figure did not speak. Naoto tried to exert her last little bit of self-control, tried to force the pain into the the dark reaches of her mind so she could focus on the creature before her, examine it a little more. She could see a scar crossing down over the right eye and a few others in various places on her muscular body, giving her a rugged beauty despite her fearsomeness. She could also see the figure was standing on one foot, the other held back behind her and a large purple bruise in the middle of her shin.

She had no doubt that this was the fox's true form, if it indeed  _ had  _ one. This was the goddess Oinari. This was Souji's ultimate protector, his ultimate weapon. The ultimate...betrayer?

She felt another burst of nausea, and the smell of peanuts once again invaded her senses.  _ Not another migraine, not now _ , she thought. Staring at Oinari only made it worse, and to keep from vomiting she was forced to turn away.

“Y-you're...Oinari,” she said through her clenched jaw. “He controls you, doesn't he?” Her hands were numb, and she flexed them to try to return feeling to them. It didn't work. She felt faint, and had to concentrate every gram of strength into keeping upright against the wall. She tried to look at Souji, but the figure kept herself in Naoto's line of sight, growling gutturally. Naoto shook her head in rapid back and forth motions that increased the pain in her head. “You – I wasn't...wasn't going to...”

“ _ Leave.” _

It was a single word, spoken quietly, and yet it shook her to her core. Without her even thinking about it, she took a tentative, rubbery step toward the door, sliding along the wall.

_ Stay. Do what you came to do. _

She stopped. The pain in her head was pulsating, but she realized she'd been staring at the bright being and the light itself no longer added to her pain. “Two voices?” she said. “You and...”  _ And me? No, not me...another...another voice...inside me? _

Oinari's lips parted, revealing sharp fangs. The fangs of a carnivore. “ _ Leave now!” _

This time Naoto did not hesitate. She shot backward, slamming into the door. She fumbled for the latch and pulled it open, slipping out to the hallway. The door closed hard behind her with a  _ whump _ .

The bright lights in the hallway re-intensified the pain in her head, but she didn't care. She was too frightened to care. She immediately turned and ran, barely keeping her footing, the blood pounding in her head making it feel as if it burst out of every orifice at any second. She crashed into a food cart that was being wheeled out of one of the other rooms, knocking it against the wall and sending the plates on it to the floor.

The nurse who had been pushing it screamed at her, but she didn't hear. She just kept running as fast as she could. She skidded around the corner and sprinting as best she could toward the elevators. She finally slowed to a stop, collapsing against the wall in between the elevator doors, sliding to her knees.

She blinked tears out of her eyes. The pain was subsiding a little, and her nausea was gone. What happened back there?  _ How did that thing...no that's not it. What was I doing? What did I almost...? _ She looked down at her hands. They were the same hands she'd always seen when washing them, or when trimming her nails. Small, with the fingers just a little longer than they should be compared to the size of her palms. Her right palm was slightly rough and calloused at the meat of her thumb and along her finger pads, a natural glove formed from handling and firing guns ever since her childhood. Someone had once told her that, if she only went to some trouble with her nails, aside from the callouses on her palms these hands would be very feminine.

And yet they looked far from feminine to her. They were tools like anything else. Tools for solving crimes. Tools for examining evidence, for following the trails of clues, for catching criminals. Today, only moments ago, they were almost tools for murder.  _ If I hadn't stopped...if that thing hadn't... _

“Naoto?”

Naoto gasped and straightened up. Kanji was standing before her, thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his jeans. Had he always been there? She didn't remember seeing him – but then again, she'd been running blindly at almost top speed. “Kanji?”

“What're you doin' here?” he said. “Uh, and why're you on the floor?”

“I...slipped,” Naoto said. He offered his hand and she took it. It felt warm, very warm against her tingling fingers. She could feel the callouses on his own hand, the rough skin of a man who spent hours upon end working with them. How she missed his touch, even three years after they'd split up. Her memories of a few hours before, when she'd come so close to being impaled in the head by Margaret's hyper-accelerated shoe, of allowing him to comfort her...the rush of emotion that had brought with it returned to her now.

“You okay?” he said.

“Better now,” she said before she realized she was saying it. Her cheeks started to burn and she looked away.  _ I'm not worthy for you to even look at me right now.  _ “I thought you were asleep. You were so...I was worried about you.”

“Yeah, I bet.” The surprising sarcasm in his voice made her turn to him. He glanced away and put a hand to the back of his head. “Look, I – I gotta talk to you. I don't...really know any other way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it right out.” He sighed. The pause seemed endless to Naoto, her anxiety rising with every hard thump of her heart and overtaking the comfort that had only just started to wash over her shame. “I, uh, know what you were tryin' to do, not letting them bring my memories back.”

Naoto's heart stopped, becoming a dull lump in her chest. “What?”

“You wanted me like I was, I think. Ya know,  _ vulnerable _ . I remembered  _ about _ you, but didn't remember  _ you _ , ya know? Didn't remember us  _ ending _ it.”

Her entire body went numb. How could he know this? Who could have told him? Who did she tell? Had someone deduced it from something she'd said? Or – did he just figure it out on his own? She immediately felt ashamed with herself for having discounted that possibility by default. But, then again, despite her love for him, she'd always known his wasn't the most cogitating mind. “There was no 'us ending it', Kanji. You wouldn't even talk to me after...”

“No, don't,” Kanji said, waving her off. “Don't even. You wanted to take advantage of me 'cause I couldn't remember. Well you can stop worrying about it.” He crossed his arms. “I stopped talkin' to you because I didn't  _ wanna _ talk to you anymore. Simple as that. What you were tryin' to do to me recently, I don't want to now, either. I'll be nice and all if I'm with you and everyone else, but outside of that I don't wanna see you again. That clear enough?”

Naoto stood there, thoroughly unable to process what she'd just heard. So that was it? Just like that? Everything she'd tried to do, everything she'd hoped for, wiped out because she'd been a little selfish? She'd never thought, never imagined that she could have made things go so wrong. And after what she'd just done, what she'd  _ almost _ done, it was more than she could bear. “Kanji....Kanji, please give me a chance to...”

Kanji shook his head and backed away from her. “I'm done with you. I'm gonna go see how Souji's doin'.” He turned and started walking down the hall from which she'd been running.

Naoto stared at his back as he walked away. She felt brain-locked, unable to process the conversation. Yes, she had screwed up, but she had never known Kanji to be so cold. Even when he'd stopped talking to her it was more of an omission, really. He just said nothing to anyone. Nothing to  _ her _ . This – this was  _ spiteful _ . Even knowing what she'd done, she couldn't believe Kanji had figured out her motivations. She hadn't told anyone, she was sure of it. How could he do this to her, without even giving her a chance to explain? Without letting her tell him how it wasn't her fault?

That thought made her stop.  _ Is this what I am? What I've become? I knew what I was doing, and I got caught. Am I going to make excuses now? A murderer  _ and  _ a liar? _

The elevator bell rang behind her. She couldn't remember having pressed the button, but she turned to look at it. The car was empty. She didn't feel her legs move but she was gliding inside it. She stood facing the back wall for a long moment, until she heard the doors slide shut.

Her legs gave out again and she crumpled to the floor. Her hands fell open in her lap and she looked down at them. Her dainty, yet rough hands. The hands that had held Souji's life, and had come so close to crushing it out. She had almost become a murderer without even thinking about it, and minutes later had her heart crushed by the man she'd once loved, and whom she'd had hope would eventually start caring for her again. Crushed, because she'd been selfish. Almost a murderer, because she'd thought it was for the common good. Nothing good came of anything she did.

The elevator jolted to life and she felt herself grow a little bit lighter. The elevator beeped once, twice, three times. Her weight started to increase again as the elevator's motion slowed. It beeped one more time and the doors opened. Without thinking, without even breathing she jumped to her feet and did the only thing she felt she had left to do.

She ran.

Back on the fifth floor, Kanji stepped back around the corner and watched the number over the elevator door count down from five to one. He was smiling broadly, toothily. He blinked once, and when he opened his eyes again they were solid white. He stood staring at the elevator door for a moment longer, and then vanished into a mist that quickly dissipated.

Back in Souji's room, Oinari turned from the door to him. She tilted her head, and then delicately stroked his cheek with one clawed finger. “ _ Find your way home soon. Time grows short.” _ She held out her hand and the pillow Naoto had dropped rose from the floor. She closed her hand around it, and held her other over Souji's head. It lifted gently off the bed, and after she slid the pillow underneath it his head lowered onto it. “ _ She needs you. Only you can give her the power, and the wisdom to use it.” _

The door latch clicked. Oinari's form immediately melted to the floor, reshaping into the fox as the light faded away. She scrambled under the vacant bed, bumping the stool and sending it into the side table with a  _ clang _ .

Rise entered the room, patting her hair dry with a wad of paper towels. “Thanks, Naoto-kun, I feel a lot...” She stopped and looked around. Aside from Souji, the room appeared vacant. “Naoto-kun?” The curtain between the two beds was swaying a little, and she could have sworn she heard a noise from inside just as she opened the door. However, there was no answer to her query.

She ventured further into the room and confirmed it was empty. There was a slight hissing that wasn't there before, and she could see Souji's oxygen tube was out of his nose, resting on his forehead. As she took a few tentative steps toward him she had the distinct sensation that she was being watched. She looked again at the curtain, which had been swaying a moment before but now was almost perfectly still. She pulled it aside but could see nothing there. She glanced over at the other bed. It looked a little further away from Souji's than it was before, and the foot of it was now pointing toward the door rather than the opposite wall. Had someone moved it?

She went over to the restroom, whose door was open and inside dark. “Anyone in there?” She stepped inside and the light came on automatically. It was sparse, with a toilet, sink, and stocked linen rack, with nowhere to hide and nobody inside it. “You didn't leave him alone did you?” she asked the emptiness. She returned to the room, the hiss of the oxygen tube at Souji's forehead, the heart monitor at his side, and the humming air conditioner at the window the only sounds there. There was nothing to indicate anyone else's presence. “Dammit, Naoto-kun!” She threw the paper towels at the wall and swore she would kick Naoto's ass the next time they met.

She touched Souji's hand, and then noticed that the pillows seemed a little more ruffled than before.  _ Did he move? _ She touched his forehead. “Senpai? Can you hear me?”

No response, aside from his steady, quiet breathing. She reached up for his oxygen tube, and then realized she wouldn't know the right way to put it back. Why did Naoto pull it out? With a sigh she pressed the call button on the bed's side rail.

“ _ Can I help you?” _ a voice said from a speaker on the wall.

“Um, yeah, uh, his nose tube came out, or someone took it out. I don't know, I just got back.”

“ _ Someone will be along to fix it,” _ the voice said, and then a click.

“Probably five minutes after they take him away for the tests,” Rise said to the empty room. She glanced over at the guest chair, and then back at Souji. “You really didn't move, did you?” She sighed, walked over to the guest chair, and dragged it back to the bedside, pushing aside the rolling stool. This was going to be a long day, or two, or however long until he woke up, and she couldn't see spending any more of that time perched on that uncomfortable, unstable stool.

Before she sat down, though, she went back to the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel from the rack, ran it through some cold water in the sink, wrung it out, and brought it back to the bed. She dabbed his forehead with the towel, some of the strands of hair flattening against his wet skin. As guilty as it made her, she couldn't stop herself from feeling just a little bit glad he hadn't awoken, despite her renewed anger toward Naoto for leaving him. She didn't want him to wake up alone, but it was more than that. She didn't want him to wake up unless  _ she  _ was there. She wanted to be the first one he saw.

It felt good to finally admit that to herself. It was terrible of her, horrible. Incredibly selfish. And yet she couldn't deny it. She wanted him. She wanted to be the first one he thought about when he returned to the real world.

And then the good feeling slipped away, replaced with sickening guilt.  _ Am I really this selfish? _ She sighed, leaned forward, and kissed his lips. The lips that were warm and soft that last time she'd kissed them had gone limp and dry. “I'm so sorry,” she said, kissing him again and then sniffling. “I'm so sorry. I want you to wake up, whoever is here. I just want you to wake up and not be alone. I'll be here, always, even if it takes years.”

But what if it did take years? Would she wait that long?  _ Could  _ she? She shook her head.  _ Stop it. It hasn't even been a whole day.  _ She sighed and settled into the chair. “I'm not selfish. I promise you. However long it takes, I'll be here. But you're gonna wake up soon, I know it. When you do, I'm gonna show you just how much I love you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taro and Margaret walked down the street together, their shoes splashing on the sidewalk as the rain flowed off the new umbrellas over their heads.

“I still can't believe you ate that whole Mega Beef Bowl,” Taro said. “ _ And _ the rest of mine.”

“It was quite flavorful,” Margaret said. “Quite worth the money.”

“You know he wasn't going to make you pay for yours right? That's the reward for taking up the 'challenge'.”

“I felt he deserved to be compensated for preparing such a delightful, filling meal.”

“Yeah, and he practically passed out when you started emptying that purse of yours onto the counter. You must've given him at least ten thousand yen.”

“It was worth it. Besides, I had more than enough left over to purchase these umbrellas. Quite convenient that they were on sale on a day when they are most needed.”

Taro shook his head and smiled. “You're full of surprises, you know that?”

“I don't surprise  _ me _ .”

Taro looked at her, and noticed a sly smile. “You just made a joke, didn't you?”

“Perhaps spending time with you, you've been – how do you say, 'rubbing off on me'?”

“Well you'd better stop hanging out with me, then. I'm the last guy you want to emulate.”

“You shouldn't disparage yourself,” Margaret said. “You are destined for great things.”

“I don't know. After what we've been through, a quiet life in the country sounds better.”

“Then perhaps I can join you, and we can spend it together.” Taro stopped dead in his tracks. Margaret stopped ahead of him and turned back. “What's wrong?”

“Um, nothing, but...you might want to watch how you say things. It's easy to misinterpret things.”

“I wasn't aware I'd left it open for interpretation.” At that, Taro gaped. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but could think of no words to say. “Are you all right?” she asked.

“You're – real forward, aren't you?” Taro said. “You mean – you want to – live here with me?”

“Of course. You and I are both incomplete, and perhaps we can help each other find fulfillment.”

“Um, I don't know what it's like where you come from, but when men and women live together here it's considered romance. We barely know each other.”

He was surprised to see her pale cheeks redden, and she looked away. “I would...I would like to come to know you, if you'll have me.”

Taro shook his head in disbelief. “What's up with you? You seem completely different ever since – since we fought the Shadow.”

She hung her head, and then walked up to him. He wasn't sure what she intended, though he felt very nervous all of a sudden. Nervous, and a little excited. She was, after all, a beautiful woman, and the first since Mayumi to express any interest in him, however strange that interest seemed. “I  _ am _ different,” she said. “I am no longer what –  _ who _ – I was. When I chose to leave the Velvet Room for a second time, I chose exile.  _ Permanent  _ exile.”

“Exile?” Taro said. “You're being punished? For what?”

“For violating the law of my master. Not Igor,” she added, holding up her hand. “The one who commands us both, and all residents of the Velvet Rooms.”

“Velvet  _ Rooms _ ? You mean there's more than one?”

“Yes, but as far as your world is concerned, there is only one at any point in your linear 'time'. But that is beside my point.” She held up the Compendium. “I was allowed to take this, because while it belongs to Souji-san, and to you as well, I am its custodian. But there is a – I suppose you could call it a 'well'. A well of infinite strength, from which residents may draw for as long as we live without sin.”

“Without sin?” Taro said. “As in – what do you mean by 'sin', exactly?”

“Acting against the law of our master, of course. Directly intervening in mortal affairs without His permission. When I went to the other plane to help strengthen Souji-san and his friends for their final battle, I was warned not to do such a thing again. When I learned that Souji-san had – lost his body and power to Loki, I left knowing full well that I could not return. I used all the strength I had to fight the Shadow, to give you all your chance to defeat it, because I knew there was no other way to save him.” She closed her eyes. “Healing my wounds took the last of what reserves I had. Now, I am no longer any use to you.” She released the umbrella and let her hand drop to her side, but before the wind could take it away Taro snatched it.

Margaret stepped away from him, holding up the Compendium. The rain dribbled down her body, but the Compendium appeared completely dry, the raindrops vanishing before they could strike its surface. She gripped the front cover and tugged but it would not open. In her hands the book seemed solid, as if carved from stone. “I am cut off from the well, and because I have used up the power I brought with me, I am no longer able to open the Compendium. Your powers are now limited. They are limited because of the choice I made. Because – because of me...” She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. Taro thought he could hear sobs over the downpour.

He walked over to her, covering her with her umbrella, and the immediately spun around and gripped him in a tight embrace. She was crying. The woman who had faced down a seemingly-invincible monster, who had survived grievous injuries with little more than a calm smirk, was literally crying on his shoulder. “Margaret?”

“I – I am sorry,” she said between sobs. “I am not used to – experiencing emotions this strongly.” She took in a deep breath and pulled away, accepting her umbrella when he handed it to her. “As went my power, so went my ability to control them.” She swiped her wet sleeve across her face. “I have brought shame upon myself, and yet I do not regret it. I saved you all. What better reward is there for sacrificing eternity than to rescue the saviors of humanity?”

“Wait, you mean – do you mean you're mortal now?”

Margaret nodded. “Some of what I was lingers, but I can no more enter the Velvet Room, nor command the power of Personas, as long as this remains closed.” She swiped her umbrella hand under her nose. “Forgive me. I do not wish to be a burden on you. On anyone. I will find my own way in this world.” She turned and walked away, her head up, and her steps deliberate and graceful despite her outburst a moment earlier.

“Hey, hold up!” Taro ran after her, catching up easily. “Look, um, I can understand needing to find your own path. You never really stop, especially when the rug gets pulled out from under you.” To her questioning glance he added, “Figure of speech. The point I'm trying to make is – well, I don't know what my point it. Look, um, why don't you come stay with me for a while? Not like spending our lives together, like you were saying, but, you know, just until you can get by on your own.”

Margaret stopped walking and blinked a few times. “You would sacrifice for me?”

Taro shrugged. “Not really a sacrifice. Even if it was, though, it'd be the least I can do. You saved my life. All of ours. I think we owe you more than to leave you to the world all on your own.”

She smiled broadly, giving her face an expression that looked very uncharacteristic to him. She sobbed once more, but then quickly regained her composure. “Thank you. In return, I will do whatever I must. I will – try to control my emotions. Also, if I remember, you suggested I express more inhibition in what I say. I shall endeavor to do just that.”

“Sounds like a good start.” He laughed, and she laughed with him. “C'mon. I'm sure you've got the money in that bottomless purse of yours for a hotel room, but you might be better off saving it for a rainy day. Another figure of speech,” he added before Margaret could interrupt. “My parents are – a little abrasive, but I'm sure I can talk them into letting you use the guest room. Sound good?”

Margaret bowed her head. “I humbly and gratefully accept.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naoto didn't stop running until she could run no more. She was in remarkable physical shape, despite her weariness from battle, but the pouring rain soaking and weighing down her clothes made it that much harder. She was over halfway to Junes before she had to slow down, the burning in her lungs warning her that she was overexerting herself. Her migraine had vanished as soon as she was outside the hospital, but the lack of pain in her head didn't make her feel any better. Nor did the rain, which did little to cool her from the humid warmth of the evening.

She came to a stop and leaned against a streetlight, unable and unwilling to take another step. She didn't know what to do. Of course, she knew what she  _ couldn't _ do. She couldn't face the others. She couldn't trust herself to be near Souji. Every time she'd been near him she'd felt almost obsessed with killing him. And then not once but  _ twice _ , she'd almost done it. The first attempt had been stopped out of chance, and the second time she'd only just managed to stop herself, before being attacked by the fox.  _ Oinari, the goddess of foxes _ , she reminded herself.  _ What have I been doing? I came to Inaba because I got his message, but it wasn't just to see him or everyone else. There was something...off, that I was only just starting to realize. Only just starting... No, I realized it...years ago, didn't I?  _ Somehow that didn't seem right anymore. Days, weeks, years...something wasn't adding up.  _ Why did I come here in the first place? To see my friends? To see Souji? To arrest him? To  _ kill  _ him? _

It was at that moment she expected the answer to come directly to her mind, spoken in her own inner voice as it had so often over the past couple days. Nothing. Only her own, rotten thoughts. Even the voice with the answers had abandoned her.

She found herself crying, not only for what Kanji had said to her, though that was a part of it. She was crying out of shame for what she'd somehow become.  _ I was never in favor of killing. I opposed killing Namatame even when it looked like everyone else was in favor of it, even when we thought he was a serial murderer with delusions of grandeur and a power that made those delusions at least partially true. Why have I been so quick to want to...to  _ try  _ to kill Souji?  _ And then she remembered she'd also thought, at one point, about killing Nanako. Sweet, innocent Nanako, probably the one beacon of light and hope she'd seen in the dark time in her life that had surrounded the Adachi murders.

_ What have I become? What sort of monster am I? _ Before she knew it she was on her knees, arms clutched around herself, weeping openly and loudly. She didn't care that she was soaked head to toe in the pouring rain. It was as if the heavens cried with her, though her innate skepticism told her immediately that was poetic garbage. Of course, now she didn't have any friends, not even Kanji, to comfort her in her grief and shame. Kanji, who so coldly and completely shut her out not once but twice. It was more than her soul could bear.

_ I'm done _ , she decided.  _ I'm leaving, and never coming back. I will never be a threat to them again, nor a burden. I will live my life as if this place and these people do not exist. Maybe then I can figure out what has happened to me and...correct it, perhaps. _

“Excuse me, Miss, are you all right?”

She was shivering now, even though she wasn't cold. Every nerve in her body seemed to be firing at once, and it made it difficult for her to look up at the man who had addressed her. He was muscular and dark-skinned, his long black hair flowing behind him like a mane, and his eyes gleaming green orbs. He was dressed in a simple suit and hat, with no umbrella, and yet he appeared to be completely dry.

“Y-yes, I'm fine,” Naoto said.

“You don't look it,” the man said. “Anything I can do to help?”

Naoto laughed bitterly. “I doubt there's much anyone can do to help.”

“Oh, now don't say that,” the man said, crouching before her. “Everyone needs help from others some time in their lives.” He held out a hand to her. “Let me help you.”

“I'll be fine,” Naoto said, pushing herself back into a standing position. “I just have a lot I must think about.”

“You don't look fine. As a matter of fact you look like you can barely stand.” As if it had been a cue, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground again, her behind becoming soaked by the wet pavement. “And,” the stranger continued, “you look as if you can barely keep your eyes open.”

Naoto felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, felt her eyes try to roll back in her head as her eyelids tried to shut. She shook her head, bringing back her alertness only for a second. “I – suppose you're right. I should...perhaps I do need help.” She looked up to see the stranger's hand still out. “Can you help me get to the Amagi Inn?”

“I can take you someplace better.”

She had started to reach out her hand to him, but stopped. Her senses returned suddenly to high alert, and they told her that this man was not as he appeared. She noticed then that his eyes had gone from green to red, and seemed to glow even under the illumination from the streetlamp overhead. “No, thank you.” She started to back away, doing her best to get back to her feet.

The man smiled. “You sound as if you have a choice.” His hand snapped out, stretching beyond what one could consider a normal human's reach, and grabbed her hand.

Before Naoto could even decipher what had happened, both she and the stranger vanished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 15, 2018

“ _ The skies had never been brighter, the water never clearer, than on the day they met.” _

Rise flipped to the next page of the book she'd been reading aloud. Her throat felt a little dry, but she'd trained her voice for many years and was well able to speak for hours on end. Her eyes, however, were starting to go crossed.

The room's air conditioning had kicked in, drying the air out a bit but giving her a chill. She'd borrowed the blanket from the other bed, thankfully still empty, and wrapped herself up in it. She'd slipped off her shoes and curled her legs up underneath her, cradling the book in her lap. She felt a little stiff from sitting in this position, but the cheap chair allowed little leeway, even to someone as petite as she was.

She took a moment to rest her eyes and examined the book as a whole, the clear plastic slipcover crackling as she turned it over in her hands, the index finger of her left hand holding her place inside. Chie had stopped by that morning, having picked it up from the library and dropping it off before she started her shift. Rise had accepted it as if it were gold; the hospital's satellite TV service was on the fritz, and the only things they could pick up with any sort of clarity were kiddie anime and infomercials, both of which she despised.

Chie had offered her support, telling her to call if she needed anything. Before leaving she'd said that “everyone” was happy for her and Souji, and when Rise asked what that meant, Chie simply said, “We're not blind, you know.” Rise had been tempted to ask about Yukiko, but decided against it. She was surprised to find that she wasn't very concerned with how Yukiko felt, and knew almost right away that it was because they were in competition for Souji. The feelings she'd had the day before, wanting to remain friends with Yukiko, had all but evaporated. She didn't know why –  _ yes I do _ – but the closer she was to Souji, the further she felt from pretty much everyone else. Especially Yukiko.

She had bid Chie goodbye, accepting her friend's reassuring hug, and offering a smile when Chie spoke briefly to Souji, apologizing for her behavior under influence of her Memflies, and promising that when he woke up soon they'd all get together and make up for the lost years. She also mentioned that Yosuke had missed hearing from him during his time away. “And me too,” she'd added, before finally walking out of the room.

_ On Water's Mirror Surface _ was the title of the book. While she remembered Chie often claiming she wasn't much of a reader, that rather, “Kung fu movies are more my thing,” she said this was her favorite. It had gotten her through some tough times, so she said, and she hoped it would do the same for Rise during this tough time. The bookstore in the Shopping District didn't have any copies, so she'd had to pick this one up at the library, with the promise of a personal copy once she could get her hands on one.

The thought of that made her chuckle. It hadn't been more than a few days since she herself was at the library, going by the name “Astrid”, an American librarian on exchange to Japan. It was a ruse that her Memfly-murky brain came up with as an excuse for her to stay in Inaba even after canceling her concert and sending her entire crew back home to Tokyo. If only she hadn't also had the “bright” idea of cutting her hair short and bleaching it. Coloring it dark again would be easy, but it would take forever for it to grow out again into the beautiful, long locks she'd loved seeing in the mirror.

She sighed. This book seemed, so far, to be mostly a fictitious widowed businessman's requiem for his dead wife, and she wasn't quite sure how Chie could gain comfort from it. Maybe the good part was somewhere further along, but so far it had been a rather morose selection, given the current real-life situation. Still, she thought it better than the slim pickings on the TV.

She took a sip of the tepid water from the glass on bedside stand and continued:

“ _ In the afternoon sun he could see the fish swimming around and beneath the boat, apparently oblivious to his presence. It was the first time in three days he'd managed to avoid notice, and in the middle of the lake, the only sound the water lapping lazily on the sides of his tiny rowboat and the occasional click of his fishing reel, he felt like a human being for the first time.” _

She let out a small laugh. “If this guy was a girl, this book might almost be about me. Metaphorically.” She glanced over at Souji, her eyes still accustomed to focusing on the book before her and having difficulty adjusting to see his face clearly. Still, even fuzzy and lying silent, he was lovely. Every time she looked at him it made her want to cry a little bit, and every time she managed to fight it. She didn't want to be the girl who cried every five minutes. At least, not when she wasn't controlling it.

She took another sip of water and glanced up at the clock. They would be serving lunch at some point soon, and while her stomach was rumbling, she wasn't looking forward to it. Hospital food was second only to school food, in her experience, for the lack of care put into its preparation. Perhaps she was spoiled, having spent so many years being catered to and having her selection of whatever she wanted,  _ when _ ever, even though she almost always made a point of eating light.  _ You don't stay an idol by eating yourself fat, _ she'd always tell herself when going for that second helping of yakisoba, or that seventh piece of sushi.

The thought of yakisoba and sushi, though, made her stomach rumble even harder. She wondered if Inaba had finally managed to open up a restaurant with delivery service. She'd heard that even the smallest towns in the U.S. had home pizza delivery, and while she'd had pizza once and found it too filling for her own taste, she could have gone for one at that moment. Anything to get away from the dull, flavor- and texture-free meals served in trays covered with plastic lids, on which were printed simple labels that alluded to the over-simplicity of the meals themselves.

She sighed. In the end, it didn't matter to her. She wasn't leaving Souji's side no matter what. She'd stay even if they stopped serving her food and she'd have to starve, though she had done that very thing from time to time when she was feeling particularly self-conscious which, thankfully, was very rare.  _ You don't stay an idol by not being confident about yourself _ , was something else she told herself at those times.

She took one more sip of the water, daintily cleared her throat, and opened the book again.

“ _ The only thing he missed in his solitude was companionship. He loved his wife, and missed her dearly. He had stopped counting the days since her death, though he knew the date it happened and could easily calculate the number in his head.” _

There was a slight creak as the room door opened.  _ Here comes the slop _ , she thought, but did not look away from the book. She continued:

“ _ She had fulfilled him like no other, making him feel a part of the human race even at the times when he was farthest removed from it. Since she had left him, her spirit taken beyond the clouds and beyond the real for the eternal paradise he knew she deserved, he felt a part of him had gone with her. A part of him that was inaccessible to him now, an arm or an eye taken and replaced with nothing but an empty hole. A hole he could not fill with all the riches, all the prestige, or all the toys that his career hence had given him. Whoever had said money can't buy happiness knew far more about how the world worked than anyone gave him or her credit for. He would trade all that, all the toys and fame and money for five minutes...no, one minute, with the love that was lost to him. It made him wonder if he was selfish that, since he knew it was impossible, he held onto these things as some sort of security blanket.” _

There was a soft wooden  _ clunk _ behind her, and then a voice spoke. “That was my favorite book. I gave Chie a copy for her birthday one year and made her read it when she was feeling sad.” Rise turned to see Yukiko standing there in her work kimono, a wistful smile playing on her lips. “It gets better near the end, trust me. It was the first time I ever saw her cry over anything other than some silly kung fu movie. Looks like she decided to pass on the tradition.”

“Yukiko-chan,” Rise said, dropping the blanket and standing on the cold floor. “I, um – hi.” She shook her head. “Sorry. When you, um – yesterday, when you didn't come back I thought maybe, well...”

“I – wasn't feeling well,” Yukiko said. She turned to the wooden box she had just set on the tray table beside her. The box was red and white, and the Amagi family emblem was painted on the front. The top of it was dotted with water spots, obviously from the rain outside. “Something from the Inn,” she said. “I thought you...might be getting sick of hospital food and could use something good for a change. I made it myself, with some help.” When she saw the twitch in Rise's lip she said, “Hey, I've gotten a lot better over the years. I took a class and practiced with the cooks at the Inn. And I, uh, learned to read a recipe.”

Rise smiled a little, but when Yukiko returned the smile she looked away. She didn't know why she felt ashamed to be sitting there.  _ But of course I do _ , she thought.  _ I'm here with Souji. She used to be with him. It's just awkwardness, that's all. Or – is it like I was thinking before, and we really are rivals too afraid to fight? _ “Thank you,” she said. “I was about to start praying for a change from the bland stuff they serve here.”

“Still used to putting way too much spice in everything, huh?” Yukiko quipped. When Rise's smile faded, she said, “How is he?”

“The same,” Rise said. “They've run tests, but as far as they can tell he's just asleep.”

Yukiko nodded. “And you've been here the whole time.” She looked away. “I'm sure you'll make...” She stopped, leaving the thought hanging in the air for a few moments. Finally she broke the silence by saying, “So. You and Souji.”

Rise opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it. She couldn't think of what to say. No, she knew exactly what to say:  _ No, we're not engaged, but why are you worried about it anyway? I thought you and he were done. _ She didn't say any of that. Not because she didn't want to, because as sure as she had ever been that she wanted to say it, she was not in the mood to start any kind of conflict.

“That's fine,” Yukiko continued when it was clear Rise wasn't going to speak. “He can be with whomever he wants. It's not as if we're together anymore or anything. You've been trying to get him for so long, you...” She stopped short and immediately turned away.

“I...what?” Rise said, her vocal block gone.

“Nothing, sorry,” Yukiko said.

Rise took a step forward, and felt the thoughts she'd been holding back begin bursting forth. “You were going to say something. Something like, 'you've been trying to take him away from me for years, and now you finally did it.' Is that about it?”

Yukiko shook her head rapidly side to side. “No, that's not it at all, it's just...”

“What?” Rise said. She felt everything rising to the surface. She knew she should stop, but she couldn't. She didn't  _ want _ to. “It's just what?”

“Nothing,” Yukiko said.

“Not 'nothing',” Rise insisted. “You were gonna say something, so say it already. It's on your mind, so just get it out. Clear the air between us.”

“It's just like you hang on him like he's your crutch or something,” Yukiko said. “You practically worship him, almost as much as you worship yourself.” Those words themselves didn't shock Rise, as she'd heard them before from faceless, nameless critics, but the fact they came from one of her friends stung her deeply. She'd been accused, in the press, of having an ego bigger than she could handle, but she'd always taken it in stride as professional jealousy. Her friends had always told her not to believe what the press said about her. Now, though, hearing it from one of the few people that truly knew her, it was like a knife wound to the side. For the first time she realized that it might actually be true. “And then you two go and get engaged under everyone's noses, like it's some big secret,” Yukiko continued. Her face was starting to flush, and her voice rising a little. She glanced down at Rise's left hand. “Not even a ring to show it. Were you guys gonna hide it from us forever? You know, I always thought  _ you _ were sneaky, but I never thought...and Souji – I thought he was more decent than that.”

“Decent?” Rise said, glad for a chance to finally retort. “ _ Decent? _ The guy who almost killed himself  _ twice _ to save your life in just the past couple days? All our lives?” She turned to Souji. “And how many times before then, huh? You have some nerve coming in here and talking about him like that.”

Yukiko shook her head. “I just don't get you,” she said. “No, actually I do. You're so used to getting what you want that you decided you want him, so you're going to  _ have _ him. To hell with what he or anyone else wants. You get what you want and that's all that matters.”

Rise stood there, accepting every blow. She wanted to cry. She wanted to slap Yukiko in the face. Anything so she wouldn't have to stare into those angry brown eyes anymore. “What  _ I _ don't get is how you could get married without telling him. I mean, you meant everything to him, and then you do that!"

_ I didn't mean everything to him _ , Yukiko thought.  _ He had his own priorities, and I had mine. _

“I guess I understand why you didn't tell me,” Rise continued. “I'dve told him in a heartbeat. But that's just cruel!”

“So in revenge you two get  _ engaged _ without telling  _ anyone _ ?” Yukiko spat back. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Well, what's done is done, and there's no use in us fighting about it.” To Rise, however, she sounded very much like she wanted to continue fighting. Yukiko gestured to the box. “It's a little variety, since I don't know what kind of foods you like. I hope you enjoy it.” Rise could tell easily that the last sentence had been an act; it didn't take a good actress to notice that. Yukiko turned toward the door.

Rise cast her eyes downward, the fight gone from her. “Thanks.”

“But just for the record,” Yukiko said, turning her head to look at her again, “I'm not married.” She walked out of the room.

It took Rise a full five seconds to process what Yukiko had just said. Yukiko's zori were already squeaking in the hallway before Rise called out, “Wait, wait!” She ran after Yukiko, keeping upright despite her stocking feet sliding on the slick tile, and catching her just in front of the room next door. “Wait, you're not gonna say something like that and just leave!”

“I just came to see how he was doing,” Yukiko said. “And to bring you some lunch. Not to have a catfight.”

“So, wait, you mean – all this time, 'Togashi-san' this, and 'Togashi-san' that...that was all a  _ lie _ ?”

The smoldering fire seemed to fade from Yukiko's eyes. “I - I fell asleep in the office Sunday morning over a stack of bills. After he called and said he'd be in town that afternoon. When I woke up, it was all just - different. I didn't know it at the time, but I just remembered things  _ differently _ . The murders, being kidnapped...being married.” She looked back toward the room they'd just left. “I thought you'd figured it was a lie, something the Memflies did, but I guess you didn't.”

“You  _ knew _ he didn't know,” Rise said. “His Shadow even said something about it like it was true. Why didn't  _ you _ say anything?”

“Because – because I almost wished it were true.” Those words confirmed Rise's suspicions, but the tone of Yukiko's voice, now more resolved than forceful, almost made Rise feel sympathetic toward her. Yukiko closed her eyes and continued, “I couldn't even think of his face. My husband's, I mean, the one I thought was real. The closest I could think of was S...”

She broke off, and instead coughed demurely. “Anyway, listen, I don't want to get in the way of – whatever it is you and he have. I...I wish you both the best.” She turned away again and started to walk away, but Rise grabbed her arm and was pulled along half a step before Yukiko stopped.

“Wait, hold up,” Rise said. “I – look, I lied about us being engaged, okay? I just said it so I could come in the ambulance and stay with him.” She released Yukiko's arm, but Yukiko stayed there. “I...” She sighed. “Look, I really didn't mean to hurt you. I wasn't even thinking about that, I...I just...I didn't want him to be alone. You all have your jobs and school you gotta do. I don't have anywhere else I have to be. Except here, with him.”

“Because you're in love with him,” Yukiko said.

_ Right to the point, _ Rise thought. “I – I...yeah. Yeah, I am.” She fully expected Yukiko to walk away, or to run. Or, maybe to slap her.

To her great surprise, Yukiko grabbed her in a hug. She could feel a little trembling from her former senpai, but the embrace was firm. “Then I wish you both the best. Souji's...he's not perfect, but he's a good man. If you two can be happy together, then you deserve to be.”

“B-but you...you and he...? His Shadow said...”

“Souji and I broke up a long time ago,” Yukiko said. “I still care for him, a lot. But not like  _ that _ . I think...you have ways to make him happy that I never did.” She pulled away from Rise and smiled. “He needs someone, but I figured out years ago that someone's not me. I still want to be your friend, and his, too. But that's all I can be for him. That's all I really  _ want _ to be.”

“But...but...” Rise stuttered, still in shock that Yukiko had actually  _ hugged _ her, especially since she'd been sure they were about to come to blows. She also wasn't quite sure she believed what she was hearing. Souji had been acting like there was still a chance he and she could still be together again, but, then again, could it have all been in his head? Or more Memfly delusions? “But you...yesterday you left. Chie-chan said you were all upset.”

“I needed time to think.” Her smile faltered for a moment, but she forced it back into place. “Souji was my first love. So far, my  _ only _ love. I guess – the only guy I ever made time for. That'll be with me for the rest of my life, I think. But even when we broke up, we swore we'd always be friends no matter what. That'll never change. And I still want to be your friend, too. I'm sorry for the things I said. I promise I didn't mean it. As your friend, I want you two to be happy together. Okay?”

Rise found herself crying, without her choosing to do so, and she hugged Yukiko back. “Thank you. And – I'm sorry too, for the mean stuff I said. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.”

“Love kind of does that, I think. And, you're welcome.” They hugged for a moment longer, and as soon as they separated Yukiko walked away.

Rise watched her go, but as soon as Yukiko had disappeared around the corner she returned to Souji's room. She started to return to his side, but the enticing aroma from the box Yukiko had brought immediately overwhelmed her, and she snatched it up before returning to her seat. “I promise I'll get back to the book in a few, Senpai. This just smells too good to let sit.”

Yukiko made her way briskly toward the elevators, walking as quickly as she could while retaining some modicum of dignity.  _ Should've changed into sneakers, _ she thought.  _ These things are such a pain to walk in, especially when they're wet. _ Once at the elevators she reached out for the call button, but then let her hand fall to the side. She turned around to the benches in the small lounge area at the opposite wall, ruts worn into them from the buttocks of many a hospital visitor over the years. She glanced out the window, seeing it dark despite the early afternoon hour, and rain spattering the other side of the glass. It hadn't stopped raining since the night before. Strangely enough, it mirrored exactly how she felt since...well, since she first heard Souji's Shadow declare his continuing love, or perhaps  _ obsession _ , for her. Even if she was no longer inclined to believe anything that Shadow had said, given how obvious it was that Loki had been in control of it, she couldn't shake that empty feeling it had given her, that feeling of loss.

She stepped over to the benches and sat down, her hands folded in her lap, and staring at the floor. After a moment she glanced over to see if anyone was coming and, when she neither saw nor heard anyone, lowered her face into her hands and cried silently.

She was still in love with Souji. Goddess help her, she was still in love with him even though she knew she shouldn't be. The idea of him and Rise together stabbed through her to her very core. She couldn't stop replaying how he'd helped her come to terms with her role in taking over the family inn, the times they'd stolen away to the Shadow World and had just wasted the hours in verdant greenery, basking in each other's presence, sometimes making love together, out in the open meadows with the combination of fear and excitement that someone, somehow, might catch them, even if only in dreams. It had felt so good to need someone and to be needed by someone, and to share herself with that someone so completely, in ways she couldn't even share with her lifelong best friend.

And then reality had set in. Souji had started growing distant, visiting less and less often, finally moving overseas and almost never calling. Had it all been the Memflies, even that far back? No, because  _ she _ wasn't affected by them then. She couldn't have been, or else she was sure she'd know it now. Unless she were still under their influence...but no, that wasn't possible. The Memflies were gone, and everything was back to normal. Well, perhaps not  _ normal _ , but no longer part of some god's sadistic game.

Souji had simply drifted away into his own separate life, and here was Yukiko stuck like a bug in a trap, running her family inn in little Inaba, too busy to travel the world, see the pyramids at Giza, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or the Freedom Tower in New York. She had never felt that way about any man since then, had never even gotten  _ close _ to any other man. Only 23 and she was already convinced she would die an old maid.

Perhaps that was why she wept. Not for the loss of a love, but for the loss of hope. Now, when it was too late to do anything about it. She found herself wishing she  _ was _ married to some Shigeki Togashi, away on business but with the knowledge he would be returning to little old Inaba, returning to her. But she didn't have that, and that was the cruelest part of Loki's game. He had managed to convince her that, for the first time in a long time, she was happy. No, perhaps “happy” wasn't the right word.  _ Content. That's what I was. I miss it. _

“Miss, are you all right?”

Yukiko drew in a sharp breath and looked up. One of the nurses was standing over her, and had placed a hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even felt it. “Yes, yes I'm fine.” She wiped the tears from her eyes, but only seemed to succeed in spreading them.

“Is there anything I can do to help? We have counselors on staff for family and friends. We know how difficult it is to cope with the circumstances that bring a loved one here.”

Of course, she remembered, Souji was in the long-term care ward. They'd brought him here because, apparently, it was the most logical place to bring a comatose person. “No, I'm fine. I really should get going.” She stood, her sandals squeaking as she walked back to the elevators, and pressed the “down” button. She only glanced back a few seconds later to see that the nurse had moved on.  _ Always something to do, someone to care for. Hospital's a business, just like an inn. _ She took another look outside, the dark rain echoing the feeling in her soul.  _ Eventually, maybe the sun'll come out. I could use some sunlight right now. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taro and Margaret entered the hospital together. He shook out his umbrella and folded it, and Margaret did the same after watching him do it, tucking the Compendium under her arm so she could use that hand. Taro had tried to convince her to leave it at the house, but she insisted that she was its custodian, its protector, and that it would never leave her hands by her own will. “We appear to be slightly late,” she said, gesturing to a clock on the wall.

“Well, I tried calling back to let them know I didn't get off work until just now, but I couldn't get through.”

“Hm,” Margaret said. “I wonder if they had the same difficulty getting through to you. That would explain why they had to leave a message with Takako-san.”

“I suppose,” Taro said. “The storm might be playing havoc with the cell system.”

As they walked down the hall toward the cafeteria, Margaret said, “I'm not certain I thanked you for giving me a place to stay, and for convincing your father to allow me to help out with your business. I – understand my usefulness has diminished, but I am happy to help however I can.”

“Don't say that,” Taro said. “If it weren't for you we wouldn't have survived very long against that Shadow. We'd probably all be dead now. So what if you're not all-powerful anymore? Doesn't diminish your value as a human being.”

Margaret contemplated on that for a moment. “Human being? I'm – not certain how to take that.”

“A compliment,” Taro said. “Just nod and say, 'thank you, dear.'”

After a moment of contemplation, Margaret nodded. “Thank you, dear.”

Taro laughed, though he felt a slight flutter in his stomach as he did so. “That was...kind of a joke. About married couples. But, not saying we're married, just...” Taro grimaced and shook his head.

“You seem more nervous around me as of late,” Margaret said. “Difficulty in selecting words, occasional stammering. Some of what you say, based on – prior research – seems almost like 'flirting'. Would this be you – I believe the word is 'reciprocating' – the affections I've expressed?”

“Hey you two!” Chie said from the cafeteria doorway, and Taro was glad for the interruption. “We were starting to think you didn't get the message.” He could see Chie, Kanji, Nanako, and Teddie in the cafeteria, having pulled several tables together. Even Lieutenant Dojima was there, sipping from a paper cup.

“Yeah,” Taro said, “good thing my  _ father _ didn't intercept it. He's – not too happy with me right now.”

“Nor with me,” Margaret said, “though I'm not certain why. I was as polite as possible, but he seemed to want nothing to do with me.”

“It wasn't you,” Taro said. “You were – well, perfect...”

“Okay, guys, quit flirting,” Nanako said with a sly grin. Taro snapped his gaze to her in surprise, and Margaret's pale cheeks turned red as she smiled in amusement.

Taro cleared his throat. “How's Souji doing?”

Nanako's grin vanished. “Same. Rise-senpai's still with him, and Dad and me went to see them earlier. He's...still sleeping. That's not what this is about, though. We're here 'cause...”

“Because nobody's phones're working,” Teddie said. He held up the basic phone Yosuke had given him. “Dead, dead, deadsky.” He tossed it over his shoulder and it landed in a potted plant.

“But just  _ our _ phones,” Ryotaro added. “At first I guessed it was all of the ones in town, but everyone I talked to at the station – theirs were working fine.”

“Wait, so that's why...?” Taro pulled out his phone and tapped the Talk button twice. There were three rising tones, and he flipped it shut just after the recorded female voice started telling him that the number was disconnected. “Can't be, that's the main number for my work. They called me from that number an hour ago.”

“So inbound works and outbound doesn't,” Kanji said, not looking up from the pieces of fabric he was stitching together on the table before him. “Weird.”

“Keeping busy?” Taro said, nodding toward the pink fabric that, from what he'd been told, would eventually become part of a stuffed toy of some type.

“Gotta restock,” Kanji said. “Lotta my stuff got messed up in the fire.”

“Suspicious,” Chie said. “The phones, not Kanji's stuff. I thought maybe it was just my phone so I went to the store at lunch. They tried it and it was fine. I had them swap it out anyway, and they tried the new one, and it was fine, too. Then  _ I  _ tried it, and it didn't work.” She shook her head. “Something's still going on here.”

“I had to have one of my detectives make the calls to you all,” Ryotaro said. “Cell phones, land lines, none of us can make any of them work. Even text messages fail to send.”

“And the Interweb's still out, too” Teddie said.

“This happened before,” Nanako said. “Big Bro told me. He couldn't reach people on the phone when he first got to town. He tried it later and it started working though. A little. He could only reach some of us.”

“So we still trying to find the others?” Taro said. “Yosuke-san, Naoto-san...?”

“Yosuke's stuck at work on cleanup duty,” Chie said, sighing. “Big surprise there. I got ahold of Yukiko, and she's supposedly on her way. Only one we don't know where she is, is Naoto.”

“When was the last time anyone saw her?” Ryotaro said.

“She left Junes with Kanji-senpai,” Nanako said. “Last time  _ I  _ saw her.”

All eyes turned to Kanji, and he looked up from his sewing. He shrugged. “She took me back to my room right after – well, she, uh, put me to bed, and that was the last time I saw her.”

“Put you to bed?” Teddie said. “You mean...you  _ scored _ ?” Chie swatted at him and he ducked to avoid it.

“What?” Kanji shot to his feet. “What're ya sayin', ya dumb bear? You lookin' for a fat lip?”

“Kanji, calm down!” Chie barked, pointing to his chair. “Right now!”

Kanji glanced at her, then glared at Teddie. He finally sat back down and grunted. “It wasn't like that.” He shook his head. “Not like that. Just, you know...” He sighed and shrugged. “I dunno where she is.”

“Huh,” Chie said. Then she snapped her fingers. “Damn, I shoulda asked Yukiko.”

“Why?” Taro asked.

“Naoto's staying at the Inn,” Chie said. “That's where we met up with her the morning...” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Ugh,  _ that _ morning.” She shivered just a little.

“So she's at the Inn,” Taro said.

“Who is?”

They all turned to see Yukiko approaching them carrying a basket. She appeared to have changed from her work kimono into a simple outfit of slacks and a blouse.

“Oooh, what's that?” Teddie asked. “Smells grrreat!”

“I thought everyone could use some dinner. Something better than they serve in a hospital cafeteria.” She noticed a uniformed cafeteria worker at an adjacent table giving her the evil eye. “Um, no offense.”

“Shirogane,” Ryotaro said. “She still staying at the inn?”

“As far as I know,” Yukiko said, setting the basket down and opening the lid. The most scrumptious aromas rose from it, and there was a symphony of “yums” and “oohs” from around the combined tables.

“Did you see her?” Chie said. “Let her know we were meeting here?”

“I called her room as soon as I got your message,” Yukiko said. She started setting wooden and paper containers on the table, and Nanako immediately rose to help her. “Or at least I tried to; we're having some kind of problem with our phones. Anyway, I went to her room, but she didn't come to the door and I couldn't hear if anyone was in there or not. I even tried calling her cell, but my phone's not working.”

“Nobody's is,” Taro said.

Yukiko tilted her head. “Nobody's, as in  _ everyone _ , or...”

“Nobody of  _ us _ ,” Chie said. “We can't call out. Anywhere.”

“Huh, that's strange.” Yukiko started uncovering dishes. “Anyway, I had them make extra, in case Sou...well, in case we needed it.”

“Aw, you didn't cook it?” Teddie said.

“Well, I've gotten better, but not nearly as good as the professional chefs we have on staff.” She blushed. “Besides, I didn't have enough time to make a second meal today, with all the work I have to catch up on form the past couple days.”

“Second? Who'd you cook for before?” Nanako said.

“Oh, um...” Yukiko said, pursing her lips. She sighed. “I made Rise-chan some lunch and brought it to her earlier.”

“Wha – seriously?” Chie said. “You and she aren't, you know...?”

“We're fine,” Yukiko said, a little too quickly. “She and I had a talk.” She quickly finished uncovering the dishes, and started handing out chopsticks, napkins, and small bowls. “Here.  _ Bon appetit _ !”

“And? What about the talk?”

“Chie,” Yukiko said, drawing her friend's name out the way she did every time she'd crossed some invisible line.

“About the two of them and Big Bro,” Nanako said, biting into a gyoza. Yukiko glared at her, and she shrunk back a little. “Sorry,” she said, the food rolling around in her mouth, “just...kinda slipped out.”

“So you and Rise-chan aren't fighting over Sensei anymore?” Teddie said. He leaned toward her and winked. “That mean you're available again?” Chie swatted him again, and this time he was too slow to dodge.

“Teddie...” Yukiko said through clenched teeth, squeezing a pair of chopsticks in her fist.

“Wait, wait,” Taro said. “I thought you were married.”

“In some cultures, polygamy is allowable, and even encouraged,” Margaret said, examining a container of tempura. “Though, most often it is a single male with multiple females, not the other...”

Taro bumped her with his elbow. “A little more inhibition than that,” he whispered.

“I'm  _ not _ married,” Yukiko growled. “And can't you all just mind your own damn business?” Everyone gaped at her, frozen in various states of chewing, biting, or plucking food from various containers. “I...I'm sorry, I didn't...” She set down the remaining items and walked briskly away.

Chie was out of her seat in an instant and caught up with her near one of the corridors. She took Yukiko's arm. “Hey, Yukiko, hold up. They didn't mean anything by it, they...” Yukiko turned to face her, and she could see the tears starting to roll from her eyes. “Oh, Yukiko.” She pulled her friend into a hug.

“Chie,” Yukiko said, squeezing her eyes shut. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to...to...”

“Shh, shh,” Chie said. “It's okay. It's been a hard few days. I'm sure it's been hardest on you too.”

“I told her I don't love him anymore, but it was a lie,” Yukiko said. “It was a lie and I knew it. And she believed me.”

“Yukiko...” Chie held her in silence for several seconds. “You always told me how much it hurt when you broke up with him, but you were glad you did it. How he got so distant, and what you wanted to do with your life just didn't work with he wanted.”

“I know, I know,” Yukiko said. “And it's – it's still like that. I know it. In my head. But every time I think about him everything just...it doesn't make sense. It's like I've got a crush on him or something, but that can't be it, right?”

“Are you sure you're not just lonely?”

“Of course I'm lonely,” Yukiko said, “but I don't have time for a man in my life. Going to lunch with you every so often is the only time I have for anything that isn't work.” She felt Chie's arms loosen a little. “Oh God, Chie, I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad to spend time with you, I just...I just don't know. It's like something in my body's just switched on all the time lately. Ever since...” She paused. “Ever since I first saw him, in Aiya the other day. Remember?”

Chie laughed a little, though there was little cheer in it. “How could I forget?” They broke the hug and she led Yukiko to a nearby booth. They sat across from each other and Chie took her hands. They felt cold. “Yeah, I remember I put on a little show that night. Musta scared the crap outta him.” Yukiko noticed that her face, instead of reflecting any sort of embarrassment, showed a hint of pride.

Yukiko continued, “That night got me thinking, about the husband I supposedly had, but the only face that came to mind was Souji's. I was – I don't know,  _ longing _ , I guess, um, for him. Because he was away, and I was in love. But I – I feel an attraction to him now, now that my memories are back, and I know I  _ do  _ love him, but as a friend. I still remember how much it hurt, not being able to share our dreams together, because he was so wrapped up in his work, and I was so wrapped up in mine.”

“Your imaginary husband, or Souji?” Chie said.

Yukiko shook her head. “That's just it. It's both. And I can't make sense of it. It's like a mishmash of feelings and memories, but it all comes down to the idea that my mind doesn't want him, but my body does. Does that make any sense?”

“A little,” Chie said. “Maybe you're right, maybe it's just a crush, or you're just lonely. But you're gonna find the right man someday. You're still young, ya know. Too soon to give up on it now.”

Yukiko laughed mirthlessly. “Easy for you to say. You've got Yosuke.”

“Well, yeah, but that was...just kinda luck, I guess. If his parents weren't transferred here...” She looked away. “Well, you know. But I try not to think about it. And you shouldn't think too hard about it either. Hell, seven years ago I didn't think I'd be caught  _ dead _ on a date with Yosuke, much less marrying him. I actually...” She shrugged.

Yukiko tilted her head. “What?”

Chie laughed. “I wasn't ever gonna tell you this...I, uh, kinda had a crush on Souji after we first met.”

Yukiko's mouth opened into a giant “O”. “No. No way! Why didn't you ever tell me?”

Chie shrank back into her chair, finally embarrassed. “Well, you know, he was your boyfriend. And, well...” She sighed. “I didn't think someone like him'd go for someone like me.”

“No... _ way _ ,” Yukiko said. After a second she started laughing. This time there was humor in it.

Chie joined in a second later. “It was just a crush, though. See? I got the better guy anyway. I mean, you know, no offense, but Yosuke's not really someone you'll have to worry about other girls trying to take away.”

Yukiko, still smiling shook her head. “I'll try not to tell him you said that.”

“Good, don't. He's funnier when he's got a big man-ego. Now c'mon, you deserve to have some of that yummy dinner you brought us.”

Nanako had been trying not to watch or to listen in from across the room, though she had some difficulty picking out their individual thoughts from the others near her, and the other people in the cafeteria. Margaret, however, had been watching them intently. “They appear to be very close,” she said. “Yukiko-san and Chie-san.”

“Yeah, they've been friends for, like, ever,” Teddie said, slurping up some yakisoba.

“So Yukiko-san isn't married,” Margaret said. “But everyone thought she was?”

“ _ She _ thought she was,” Nanako said. “With the Memflies, apparently. Must've been one of Loki's weird, sadistic memory things. Maybe I should've made a point of telling Big Bro after I figured it out, before all this crap started happening.” She turned to the others. “'Cause, well, you know. I knew it.”

“Would it have mattered?” Taro said. “I haven't known her for very long, but it seems like she's in pain whenever the idea of her and Souji, well, their being together comes up.”

“So weird,” Nanako said. “I was kinda pissed at her for breaking up with him, but I also kinda understood why. I went to the Inn to see her every now and then and she asked about him, but she never seemed so lovey-dovey about him like now.”

“People can be hard to read,” Ryotaro said. “Especially when trying to cover up painful memories.”

“Yeah, but...getting all broody, this just isn't her,” Nanako said. “She seems so...I don't know,  _ weird _ .”

“And Nao-chan's been weird too,” Teddie said. “Even after Sensei beat Loki.”

Kanji looked up at Teddie, a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face. “Well – actually, kinda, yeah. That thing about the fox, I mean – I couldn't figure out what she was upset about.”

“It's been a week for weird,” Taro said, lifting a piece of shrimp to his mouth, but stopped. “Wait, you don't suppose...?”

“Hey guys,” Chie said, walking back with Yukiko. “You better've saved us something.”

“Of course,” Margaret said, swallowing a mouthful of teriyaki chicken. “This meal is far too good to not share. Thank you very much, Yukiko-san.”

Yukiko smiled and bowed. “You're welcome.”

“Um, sorry about...” Nanako started, but Yukiko waved her off.

“No need. I'm sorry I snapped at you all,” Yukiko said, sitting in the seat between Chie and Nanako. “I didn't mean to interrupt.”

“No big,” Teddie said. “We were just talking about...”

“Naoto-san,” Taro interrupted. “Teddie said her behavior had been strange all week, even after Loki was defeated.”

“I guess I was kinda tired on the way back to where I'm stayin',” Kanji said, his mouth half-full, “but I remember her gettin' all upset about the fox after we got back.”

“Well, she hasn't been back to town since, well, you and she broke it off,” Chie said. “Seemed kinda rough on her. She told us you just stopped talking to her. The same thing you did to all of us, actually.”

Kanji set down his overflowing bowl. “Oh, yeah.” He cast his eyes downward and tilted his head, as if trying to recall a long-lost memory. “That all happened – about when my, uh, ma died, right?”

“Kanji-kun, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want,” Yukiko said.

Kanji sighed and swallowed his food. “Nah, it's all right. Been a few years, and – well, guess I haven't really talked to anyone about it. Or – thought about it. It'll kinda be a relief.” He tried to look them in the eyes, but his eyes kept getting drawn back down to the table. “The afternoon I found her, found Ma, when she – I just felt like something clicked in me, you know? I, uh, remembered you guys comin' to the hospital, tryin' to talk to me and all that, but, well, it didn't occur to me until just now, but I didn't have an idea who the hell you guys were. Funeral was the same, I didn't know any of you guys.” He chuckled. “I don't even know how you guys knew about the funeral, 'cause I don't even think I called you. I just – forgot. Everyone, I mean. Naoto, you guys...all of it.”

Yukiko dropped her bowl, spilling rice and tofu on the floor at her feet. “You – you forgot us?  _ Three years _ ago?”

“Uh, yeah, still can't make much sense of it,” Kanji said, shrugging as he took in another mouthful from his bowl.

“Memflies,” Nanako said, covering her mouth with her hand. She studied Kanji, inside and out. Why hadn't she seen it earlier? “Memflies, three years ago.”

“Did not Loki refer to his playing along this  _ week _ ?” Margaret said. “If I remember, his exact words were, 'This past week's been fun.'”

“Yeah,” Taro said, leaning toward Kanji. “But if you were being affected three years ago, then...what? Was Loki lying about the amount of time he'd been doing all that?”

“Or he was telling the truth!” Teddie said, his voice rising a couple octaves. “About everything!”

“I remember reading about Loki back in school,” Yukiko said. “He was known as a trickster, among other things, but in some myths he tricked others by telling an unbelievable truth. You don't think...he was really telling us the truth?”

“He mentioned someone called 'Brother', I think” Taro said. “I don't think he said a name, but...this isn't over, is it?”

“It all makes sense,” Nanako said. She held out her hand and ticked off one finger at a time. “Our phones. The Internet. Kanji-senpai's mom's funeral. Yukiko-senpai being all moody.” She turned to Yukiko, who was staring at her in surprise. “Sorry, but it all makes sense.” She jumped to her feet, knocking over her chair, and ran from the table.

“Hey, where you going?” Ryotaro called after her.

“To get Rise-senpai!” she shouted back. “We're not done saving the world yet!”


	19. Marionettes

As he walked, Souji had lost all sense of time. It could have been hours, or eons, or somewhere in between. It was a sensation he had never quite experienced before, and couldn't describe if he tried. Being outside time, outside  _ life _ , instilled in him a peculiar mix of contentment and unease that made the time fly by even as it crawled. He had tried to spend his time focusing on what he'd seen, what he'd heard, and what he needed to do if and when he ever managed to get back to the real world, but more and more he'd felt his mind wander of its own accord, something that seemed all to familiar to him as of late.

During a moment where his logical mind managed to cling onto a toehold in his consciousness, he figured he could have been walking no longer than a century, real-time. After all, within a century his body would have died and he'd have moved on, wouldn't he?

Or was  _ this _ what it was like to move on? Walking through an empty, endless nothing, it was a far cry from meeting the spirits of your ancestors in an endless garden as had been so often promised when he was a child. If this was what he had to look forward to, it would be an extremely boring way to spend eternity. Boring, and lonely. He'd had enough loneliness in the past few years to last himself a lifetime.

He had given up keeping track of time, though, or of the number of steps. His feet hadn't begun to ache, nor his legs grow tight. He hadn't even gotten tired. That alone furthered the feeling that he was dead, and yet it didn't unsettle him as much as the thought that returned to him in his fleeting moments of clarity: his friends were in danger, somehow. He needed to find a way back, if only to warn everyone. He couldn't remember how he knew it, or even if he'd known what the danger was, but he knew it was important.

That thought was what kept his feet moving, even as his mind drifted in and out of coherence, across the endless bland landscape.

Endless, and...with a tiny flash of blue in the distance.  _ What...? _ It was the first thing he'd seen in this world of white after the brother had disappeared. He continued on, and the blue flash became a steady glow. Whatever it was, it was directly ahead of him. His presence of mind returned to him, made easy by the fact that he now had a goal. What that goal was he couldn't be sure, but it didn't seem that far off now. He broke into a run, the only indication that he was moving faster than before being the blue light growing in size more quickly than before.

It took surprisingly little time to meet the object, and he wondered briefly if it had been coming toward him at the same time he'd been chasing after it. He stopped once he could make out its form: a blue butterfly, fluttering almost lazily in his direction, leaving a trail of bright spots like tiny fireflies behind it. As he stood there it flew toward him, stopping in front of his face, almost as if staring him down, but he felt no urge to flinch. He reached up to touch it, but it immediately shot away from him in a distinctly un-butterfly-like manner.

“No, wait!” he called, chasing after it. Before he could get near it again, though, there was another flash. Where the butterfly had been before the flash now stood a blue, rectangular glyph. Just like before. “The Velvet Room,” he said to nobody in particular. “I hope.” He walked up to it and touched it, expecting in his anxiety for it to leap away like the butterfly had done.

This time, his luck held out. The door was warm to his touch, and the warmth spread through his body as everything grew bright. In seconds he found himself in the same room of blue he'd entered twice in the recent past, the subdued illumination in the periphery allowing the bright light in the center of the room to punctuate the darkness, and to highlight the room's lone, long-beaked resident.

_ Wait, where's Margaret? I saw her outside...isn't she back yet? She was fighting me...my Shadow. Wasn't she? But isn't that all done now?  _ He had briefly thought of her as his best opportunity to warn the others of what he'd seen...but what  _ had _ he seen? Somehow it had slipped his mind. That didn't feel right. That there was no way he should have forgotten it, and yet he  _ did _ forget.

“Welcome,” Igor said, his grin as wide and sinister-looking as ever. “So you have been presented with a new mystery, and a new challenge which, for the fate of all, you must overcome.”

“Mystery?” Souji said. He shook his head. “No, I just gotta get home. Back to my body, or whatever. It's over. We beat Loki and saved the world.”

“You have spent time in the realm of gods, where human souls easily lose themselves. Only your strength of heart has kept you together, even for just this short amount of time. But think back, retrace your steps, and you will see.”

Souji rolled his eyes, but then closed them. He thought back to before he entered the Velvet Room. He'd been walking. Before that, running. But running to where? Here? Or was he running  _ from _ something?

“From something,” Souji said. “I was running from something. Running from...” He drew in a sharp breath. “Him! That...he was called 'brother'. He told me – I needed to get back while I still could.” He paused for a moment to collect his memories, which were scattering about in his head like cockroaches caught in a sudden light. “Betray. Someone was going to betray me. I – I think...kill me. Kill me, yeah. I gotta warn everyone!” He shook his head. “How could I forget that? It wasn't really that long ago, was it?”

“Memories can be such fickle things,” Igor said. “They can be taken by force, as you have experienced firsthand. However, they can just as easily be lost, without any outside influence.”

“You know, just for once I wish you'd tell me what you want, and what I'm supposed to so, instead of all this riddle crap.”

“I promise you, it is not 'crap', as you so eloquently put it,” Igor said, and for the first time Souji thought he detected the slightest of chuckles. “I do not tell you because I do not know. However, even if I  _ did  _ know, I could not tell you.”

“Why?” Souji said. “All part of the game?”

“You may interpret it as such,” Igor said, and Souji clenched his fists at his side. “But no, it is no game. Even if I did have all your answers, I could not tell you. The answers themselves are not so important as the journey to those answers. It is the journey, not the answer itself, that will save you and your friends now as it did before.”

“All right, fine,” Souji said. “Then where's my journey for this? That thing – he was a god, right? How do I fight a god?”

“You fought one before,” Igor said.

“That was different. I had another god help me. And – and my friends.”

“The bonds you forged are eternal and unbreakable,” Igor said. “Certainly you felt them, despite your impaired state.”

“We all moved on. I mean, not to the point the Memflies had us, where we were practically enemies, but still...I'm not even sure we're friends anymore, really.”

“If you meant so little to your friends, they would not have risked death to save you.”

That gave Souji pause. Somehow, his memories were all coming back.  _ Must be something about this room _ , he thought.  _ A place where...truths are revealed, right? _ He was remembering everything, about his Shadow, and his own actions. Yes, they'd saved him, but they'd have done it for anyone else in that kind of situation, wouldn't they? What was so special about  _ him _ , anymore? He'd run off, trying to play the hero, and instead he'd made one of the stupidest, and possibly the last, mistakes of his life. They'd had to put everything they had into defeating the Shadow, and even  _ that _ wasn't enough. They'd needed Margaret, who from his observation might well be the most powerful being in existence, to whittle the Shadow down enough so they could actually defeat it. And he still had failed to survive.

“You are not dead,” Igor said. When Souji tilted his head and furrowed his brows in confusion, Igor added, “I cannot read your mind, but your feelings are written as plainly on you as if they were scripted on your forehead. You are alive, and that is why you must return as quickly as possible.”

“Because I'm going to be betrayed,” Souji said. “And whoever that is might hurt the others too. Nanako, Yukiko, Rise...”

“Betrayal...perhaps,” Igor said. “Perhaps not. When one chooses an action they believe is correct, but is based on incorrect information, the person may have taken the wrong act. But did that person act wrongly?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Only that you should remember the lessons you learned before. The first judgment is not always the correct one.”

“But...”

“Your time runs short,” Igor interrupted. “You should hurry back.” He gestured to the door. Souji glanced at it for a second, but when he turned back to Igor the chandelier had gone out. The only source of light left in the room was the glowing door.

“Well, thanks,” Souji said. He sighed. “Guess I can take a hint.” He touched the door, and after another flash of warm light he found himself in darkness. The only thing he could see was what looked like a dimly glowing ladder directly in front of him. It appeared to end at the floor at his feet. He followed it up and saw that it continued on toward bright dot, far above him. He felt the ladder, and then around it. His hands touched something as solid and unyielding as stone. He traced it and found that he was in a narrow vertical tunnel, the walls completely round and solid. When he turned around he noticed that the Velvet Room door had vanished.

He sighed and turned back to the ladder.  _ Guess I've only got one way to go. _ If nothing else, his new out-of-body experience was turning out to be one hell of a workout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yosuke leaned the pry bar against his leg and shook out his hands, cracking his knuckles. Prying up broken floor tiles was neither fun nor interesting, but it was one of many jobs that had to be done. He swiped the sweat from his eyes with his sleeve, smearing wet and clumping dust across his face. He didn't care, though. He'd been called into work early the evening before, while the power was still out, to help coordinate the cleanup effort once the fire marshal had declared the building safe for habitation.

That by no means meant the building was  _ comfortable  _ for habitation. The power had been brought up only mid-morning, after the power company replaced the three destroyed transformers by the main dock door. “Hit by that freak lightning storm,” they'd said. Since then the air conditioning had been turned on full blast, but he was working so close to the front of the building, where the worst damage was, that he was saturated by the warm, wet air coming in through the gaping hole in the wall. While it had been covered up with plastic sheeting, that did little to keep the heat or moisture out.

And, of course, it hadn't stopped raining since they'd stepped out of the TV the night before. Raining, with the temperature as hot as it had been a few days ago. He'd had to rotate out workers every hour or so to keep them from collapsing from heat exhaustion. While contractors were taking care of cleaning up the big chunks of wall and repairing it, after having just been fixed a few days earlier, it was left up to the store employees, who had little else to do until the store could re-open, to clean up the damaged merchandise, the splintered service desk, and the other flotsam strewn about. One of the hanging light fixtures had even crashed to the floor, Yosuke remembered, having been struck by an attack during the brief battle within the building before Namatame had managed to “take it outside” like some kind of supernatural bouncer.

Aside from brief water breaks, he had only stopped for short naps which he ended up taking on the sofa in his father's office. Of course, both his parents had told him to go home, had almost  _ forced _ him to go home at one point, but he had insisted on staying. They'd proudly assumed he was choosing to stay out of dedication to his job and to the store, though he would have been far too nervous to do much resting at his apartment. The apartment which, he was sure, he wouldn't be able to afford in a very short time. The store's camera system hadn't come back on when the power returned, and the security company had been working on it ever since. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the system was back up, and everyone could see Yosuke pulling the fire alarm, jumping into a TV, and then jumping back out of it again. He didn't know if the system had been running when they returned from the Shadow World, but with his luck, it most certainly would have been.

He had just gotten back into his rhythm when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He jumped and turned around. “H-hey, Dad,” he said.

His father was just a hair shorter than he was, with close-cropped hair and a bushy mustache. Yosuke had always called it his dad's “gunslinger-'stache”. “How's it coming?” his father asked.

“All right,” Yosuke said, trying to keep the quiver out of his voice. “Still kinda tacky under the broken tiles. We'll need to rope it off unless we want people leaving their shoes here.”

“Just requisition some nylon cord from hardware and tie it to the safety cones,” Hanamura the senior said. “We probably won't be able to get the flooring people in until after the store opens. Listen, while I've got you here, feel like taking a break? I want to show you something.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Yosuke said. He handed the pry bar to the young man who had been assisting him and followed his father back toward the stairs that led toward the offices. “Um, what's up?”

“Camera system's back,” his father said. “I told you the fire pull was in Electronics, right?”

Yosuke sighed, his stomach performing underwater ballet in his gut. “Yeah.”

“Well – let me just show you.”

_ Shit, here it comes _ , Yosuke thought.  _ I'm so fired. And probably disowned. _ They entered the security office, and a man with the words “Sumaru Lock and Key” superimposed over an image of a giant skeleton key, printed on the back of his jacket, was sitting before the terminal.

“Play it again, would you please?” Hanamura senior said. The security worker tapped a key on the panel, and the central screen came up showing a still image of the Electronics department, from overhead. The man tapped a second key and the image started moving a little, tiny grains of distortion moving in various spots, and the time stamp counting upward.

And then, the time stamp stopped counting. The image became blocky in various parts, eventually becoming completely undecipherable, and the time stamp jumping around to random numbers, until every digit in the date and time read “6”.

The man rotated a dial and while the blockiness jumped a few times it remained incoherent, until the image suddenly cleared and the time stamp returned to normal, counting up the seconds. There were occasional flashes on-screen, and it took Yosuke a moment to realize they were the fire alarm strobes, flashing so quickly the cameras could only pick them up every so often. There was a several minute gap between when the image was lost and when it returned, based on the time stamp.

“I looked ahead,” the man said to his father, “and it happens again around 15 or so minutes later.” He rotated the dial more quickly, the time stamp counting upward rapidly, until it stopped again. The image turned blocky again for a moment, the time stamp becoming all sixes again, before the playback stopped. “That's all there is, the system failed at that point. My best guess is that the power surge made the machine go back and overwrite data at some spots on the drive with random junk.”

“Well, whoever pulled the fire alarm did it during that first breakup,” Yosuke's father said. “Can you take the drive back to your office and get the data back?”

The man sighed. “We can try, but if I had to be honest, I'd say it's lost. The main and backup drives are flash-based. Not like the older platter-based drives. Once the data's erased it's gone for good. That's why we built in so many protections into this unit, but that surge must've hit it just right.”

“Wait, backup drive,” Hanamura senior said. “What about the backup drive?”

“Right here,” the man said, pointing to a charred, blackened plastic rectangle on the counter. The center had caved inward, a crack running diagonally across it.. “Completely destroyed. If I were you, I'd go play the lottery today. Better chance of winning that than having  _ this _ happen.”

“Real cute,” Yosuke's father said, and then turned to Yosuke when the younger man let out a chuckle. “What's so funny?”

Yosuke bit his lip. “Nothing, just – real mess. Gotta laugh to keep from crying, ya know?” He had come within seconds of peeing his pants. Never before had he felt the kind of relief he felt at this moment. Well, that is, aside from surviving the battles in the Shadow world, from the first one against his own Shadow to the one with Shadow Souji the day before. This was a close second.

Hanamura the elder's expression softened a bit. “Yeah, I suppose. You know who was in or near that department last night? You were here, weren't you? Taka said he saw you with a bunch of people.”

“Uh, yeah, it was me, Chie, Yukiko, and a few others. We just stopped in for some...stomach medicine,” Yosuke said. “Chie tried cooking for us and, well, you know.”

“Ugh,” his father grunted, grimacing. “Please tell me it wasn't that curry again.”

Yosuke shrugged and shook his head. “Anyway, I'll go find out who was down there.” He had made sure nobody was there to see him pull the alarm before he'd done it, but suppose he hadn't checked thoroughly enough? The weird grayness that had engulfed the world yesterday had fogged up his head, and it had made him so sick he'd puked in the parking lot only moments before. At the thought of his having missed something, his relief at having gotten off scot-free ebbed just a little.

“ _ Yosuke Hanamura, you have a call on line three. Yosuke Hanamura, line three please.” _

“Huh,” he said. “Wonder who that...” He turned to see his father was no longer paying him attention, instead speaking with the security contractor again. Shrugging, he picked up the phone by the door and pressed “3”. “Hanamura here. How can I help you?”

“ _ Yosuke? It's Chie.” _

Yosuke glanced back, making sure nobody was watching, and then huddled by the phone. “Chie? What's up? He awake yet?”

“ _ No, not yet. We just figured something major out. We need you here right away.” _

“Uh, I don't know if I...”

“Now _ , Yosuke. I wouldn't be calling if it weren't important.” _

“Well, what is it? And why didn't you just call my...?”

“ _ I can't say it right here! _ ” she interrupted. “ _ I'm using the phone at the nurse's station and there's, like, a dozen people around. Just get to the hospital as fast as you can. Meet us at Souji's room.” _

Yosuke sighed. “Fine, I'll get there as soon as I can. Love...” The phone clicked, replacing Chie's hushed voice with the drone of the dial tone. “...you.” He hung it up. After a few moments he went back over to his father. “Hey, Dad, listen. Um, I'm thinking I might take you up on your offer from before. You know, go home, get some rest. Maybe a shower. I kinda need it, you know. So, is that...”

“Fine,” Hanamura the senior said, not looking at him. “I'll need you back in no later than 6 in the morning though, okay? We're gonna try to open at 8.”

“Sure, no prob.” Yosuke turned and marched briskly away, praying that nobody would stop him with a question or problem. One of the things he hated about being a manager was the increased difficulty in actually leaving work for the day. Somebody always needed something, and they seemed to have a Yosuke Radar that went off when it detected he was on his way out the door.

That got him thinking about the fake reason he'd given his father. Now that his most serious stressor was gone, he felt the exhaustion of his 16-hour day wash over him. He really could use a good shower and sleep. Whatever Chie needed, it had better be important and have at least a passing relationship with massive amounts of caffeine. If not, she just might end up carrying him home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“As he looked into those eyes, the windows into the innocence through which he'd neglected to gaze for so long, he could see not only his beloved daughter, but also his beloved wife.”

Rise wiped a tear from her eye. Now she knew why Chie and Yukiko loved this book so much. She cleared her throat, dry and just a little tender from the constant reading, and as she was reaching for her water glass she heard voices from the hall. Quite a few of them. It almost sounded like a party heading down the hall.

“...sure about this? Isn't it kind of a stretch?” It sounded like Kanji's voice. She immediately closed the book and stood, drying her face off the best she could with a tissue.

“I know it sounds like that but it's the truth. It's gotta be.” That was Nanako, who she saw as soon as they entered. “Rise-senpai,” Nanako said, rushing over to her. “How's Big Bro doing?”

“Same,” Rise said, trying her best not to look like she'd been crying. “Guys, how...how are you all?” She cried out in surprise when Teddie grabbed her in a fierce hug. “Wha – Teddie?”

He squeezed her for a moment before stepping away. “You just looked like you needed it.”

Rise, pleasantly surprised that he hadn't tried to grope her, smiled a little. “Thanks.”

“Look, Rise-chan, we think it's not over. With all that was happening, I mean,” Yukiko said. “Someone, or some _ thing _ , else was behind Loki. We think it's still pulling strings.”

There was a flash from outside, followed a second or two later by a roar of thunder that made them all jump. “What do you mean?” Rise said after she caught her breath.

“Loki said something about a 'brother' controlling him,” Nanako said. “We think he was telling the truth.”

“Some of us do,” Kanji said. “I'm not totally sold on it.”

“How do you explain you being affected by Memflies three years ago?” Yukiko said.

“What?” Rise said, turning to Kanji. “Is  _ that _ why you blew us all off like you did?”

Kanji held up his hands, shrugging a little. “Well, I, uh...I guess it explains things, but...couldn't Loki have just been lying? Like, maybe he was involved back then?”

“Maybe,” Nanako said, “but I think we need to act like he wasn't. If he was, we'll look like idiots. If he wasn't, maybe we can do something about this 'brother'.”

Suddenly there was another flash of lightning, this followed almost instantaneously by a crash of thunder.

“This storm just keeps getting worse,” Ryotaro observed. “It hasn't stopped raining since yesterday.”

As if in response, TV on the wall came to life, the screen dancing with static. “What...?” Rise started. “Did someone hit the remote?” She looked over and saw it hanging in the same spot on the wall as it had been since the last time she'd used it. She pressed the power button for the TV, but it remained on. “What the heck?” There was a whistling coming from the wall speaker, and then a voice.

“ _ Tonight's top story: evacuation of the Inaba region had to be halted due to the extremely violent weather that continues to inundate most areas of Japan...” _

“Oh my God, look!” Yukiko said. On the screen was the face of a news anchor, though the image was grainy, like an old analog broadcast. His face was grim and haggard, his hair out of place, as if the broadcast had been hastily assembled. The image then switched to a street, the houses submerged up to their roofs.

“Hey guys,” came Chie's voice as she entered the room. “I just talked to Yosuke and...um, what are you guys watching?”

“Where is this coming from?” Taro asked.

“What?” Chie said. “That looks like...what the hell...?”

The image shifted to the Shopping District, with few of the buildings still visible over the surface of the water. The image then continued shifting between various areas both inside and outside town, buildings and cars being washed away, and even bodies floating in the water.

“ _ The massive storm has covered all of Japan in several meters of rain, with coastal cities including Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Mito completely underwater and abandoned. And across the globe, many other cities, and even whole nations, have been almost literally wiped off the map.” _ As the images shifted, the names ran across the screen. Shanghai, China. Mumbai, India. Cape Town, South Africa. Naples, Italy. The entire state of Florida, USA. “ _ Millions are missing or dead, with almost a billion people displaced or stranded due to the massively rising waters. In northern areas such as Russia, Canada, and Greenland, massive amounts of snow, up to over a dozen meters so far in some areas, have stranded their residents under literally tons of ice. It is not known how many deaths have occurred in these areas, either due to the weather itself or to the loss of utilities, food, and access to medical facilities, because authorities are simply unable to reach their people. _

“ _ Many believe this is the result of global warming, though a member of the UN Council on Climate Change, speaking on condition of anonymity, states that the amount of rain that has fallen across the globe cannot be accounted for by the amount of polar ice lost and that, in fact, no other known source can account for the sheer amount of precipitation that has fallen worldwide. _

“ _ Some groups are taking the worldwide storm as a sign of the end of the world, similar to the 'Great Flood' described in some religious myths. Some individuals have attempted, in the spirit of that myth, to build giant boats to try to ride out the storm, but none have managed to stand up to the power of this global storm. Governments across the world are calling on their citizens to help each other. Those living in landlocked areas and higher elevations are asked to help...” _

The sound faded off into static, as did the images on the TV. The team, who had been watching in silence, turned to look at each other, and then to the window and the torrential downpour beyond it.

“That...was that...the Midnight Channel?” Yukiko said. “Showing us – what? The future?”

“But the Midnight Channel hasn't been on in years!” Chie said. “And it's not even  _ close _ midnight!”

“It's come back, apparently,” Taro said, matter-of-factly. “I'd say this erases any doubt there's more to this than Loki.”

“Unless it's just Loki screwing with our heads again,” Kanji said.

There was another flash of lightning, and the TV came back on. It was the same news anchor, this time appearing more composed, though no less solemn. “ _ In tonight's top story, a wedding ceremony in Tokyo was the scene of a massacre today by what survivors are calling 'Hell's Uprising'. We warn you, the following home video footage may be too graphic and disturbing for young viewers.”  _ The video switched to a wedding ceremony, the bride and groom standing together at the altar.

The image started far away, near the rear of the opulent, open-air shrine, and then quickly shifted around to the front, zooming in and focusing on the bride and groom. “Wait – Rise-chan, that's you!” Chie said. “And...and...”

Rise gasped. It was indeed her, dressed in a white shiro-maku and elaborate headdress, her face impeccably made up, giving her the appearance of a life-size porcelain doll. To her right was Souji, dressed in his own black and purple kimono and striped hakama pants. The video seemed unnaturally clear for a news broadcast, and its focus on their two faces seemed intentional. Suddenly there was screaming, and the video refocused on the rear of the shrine. “ _ No you won't! He's mine! MINE! Persona!” _

“Oh my God, no,” Yukiko said, her hands covering her face. The image on screen was her, dressed in a torn and charred kimono with what appeared to be combat boots on her feet. Her hair was frazzled and face flushed, with sunken eyes and lips drawn back in a sneer. She glowed blue for a moment and then Amaterasu appeared, and the camera shot away from her to entire scene of chaos. Flower arrangements, seats, and even attendees spontaneously burst into flame. The agonizing screams made everyone jump, and a few of them shrieked, while the Yukiko from the recording continued screaming, each shout of “ _ Persona” _ more desperate and hysterical than the last.

They all watched in horror as the video returned to Yukiko continuing her rampage, making her way toward Souji and Rise who were standing perfectly still at the altar, watching her, faces frozen in fear or shock. The few remaining guests were trying to flee, only some making it out alive and unscathed. Many were burned alive, fleeing while engulfed in flames, and most fell dead to the floor as they burned.

Yukiko marched down the aisle toward Souji and Rise. Souji approached her but she summoned Amaterasu once more, setting him aflame. He screamed and quickly fell dead to the ground, his remains reduced to an ash-covered skeleton in seconds. Yukiko reached a hand into the flames, crying out as her arm started to burn, the fire working its way quickly up her sleeve, setting her clothing, her hair, her entire body aflame.

“ _ No! Yukiko-chan! Why?”  _ The on-screen Rise was running toward Yukiko, but she quickly cut the younger woman down with her glowing hot fan, Rise's body falling in two pieces onto the ground.

“ _ If I can't have him in this life, I will have him in the next.” _

The team watched in silence, Rise and Yukiko both driven to tears from the sheer horror of it. The on-screen Yukiko collapsed onto Souji's burning corpse, and the video returned to the newscaster. “ _ This video, taken one year from now, shows Yukiko Amagi, manager of Inaba's historic Amagi Inn and resident psychopath, murdering her former lover and his bride out of jealousy. While this newscaster does not take sides, our editor is recommending you find all three of these individuals...” _ the image on-screen changes to portraits of Yukiko, Souji, and Rise, complete with their names, “ _...and kill them swiftly and brutally, before these events come to pass.” _ The sound returned to static, but the three portraits remained.

“This...no, it can't...” Chie started.

“That's not really the – the future, is it?” Teddie said.

“No! No it isn't!” Yukiko cried. She ran to the TV and yanked the plug out of the wall. The TV remained on. “No...no it can't...” She gripped the satellite feed cable and pulled with all her might. The cable ripped out of the connector, still attached to the wall port, but the TV and the images remained as if burned into the screen.

“It – it can't be,” Rise said. “It's the – it's the Midnight Channel all over again. It's showing us what we...what we want to see? But who wants to see  _ that _ ?”

“How did the cameraman survive?” Taro said.

“What?” Nanako said. “You're asking  _ that _ after what we just...”

“It's fake,” Taro said. “It's not real. Someone, or something, is doing something just like the Midnight Channel, but they're trying to throw us off by making up these images. This is a sign we're on the right track, I think. Do you honestly believe Yukiko-san would ever do something like that?”

“No, of course not!” Chie said

“Then it's obviously...”

The screen came to life again, this time showing children fleeing from what looked like a school. The camera flew past a wrecked sign, but they could still read the words on it: Yasogami High School. “ _ Yasogami High was destroyed today by this young woman.” _ Nanako gasped as a photo of her appeared on-screen, a mirror reflection of how she looked that exact moment. “ _ Early reports state she was angry with her teachers when they gave her detention for speaking out of turn in class, so she unleashed a demon from within herself.” _ The image switched to Nanako, literally flying through the school corridors, firing what looked like energy beams at everything and everyone she saw, completely obliterating them.

The image cut to the outside of the school, and the building collapsing upon itself. A being in white emerged from the center of it, though, and when the camera zoomed in they could see it was Nanako, her eyes glowing red. She then shot off into the distance. “ _ Parliament has declared war on this individual, Nanako Dojima, and has promised she will be captured alive and tortured to death.” _

Nanako shook her head. “No, this isn't funny. This isn't goddam funny at all!”

“Is this the only television showing these images?” Margaret asked, speaking up for the first time. Taro and Ryotaro looked at each other and then immediately shot out of the room.

Meanwhile, the TV continued to display other, silent videos of further horrors being visited upon the group. It showed Yosuke and Chie embracing, and then stepping together off a cliff, being smashed onto the rocks below. Teddie sitting drunk and bleary-eyed at a bar, wearing his mascot suit except for the head, putting a revolver in his mouth and pulling the trigger, his head exploding into a cloud of gore.

“No! Turn it off turn it off turn it off  _ turn it off! _ ” Teddie cried, squeezing his eyes shut and curling up on the floor. “Turn it off...”

Rise grabbed the first thing she could reach, the book she'd been reading, and threw it at the TV screen. The screen rippled for a few seconds as the book disappeared into it. She cried out in frustration. “Someone smash it!”

Yukiko shook her head in quick jerks, her eyes fixed on the screen. “W-whatever this is, we're supposed to – to see it,” she said, her voice trembling. “Who...who would...?”

The images continued. Margaret was shown as a beggar, being beaten mercilessly by a gang of young men and her paltry few possessions stolen, the camera cutting away just as the men started tearing off her clothes. Taro was in an electric chair, quaking as a high current was run through his body. Ryotaro, in a prison jumpsuit and handcuffs, was being marched from a police cruiser, but was shot by a bystander. Kanji's body washed up on the shore of a nondescript beach, chunks of his flesh missing as if he were partially eaten.

The horrors did not stop there. Their deaths each played out again, in far more gruesome fashion each time. Rise squeezed her eyes shut and turned away “No no no! Why won't it stop?”

Kanji marched over to the TV, jumped up, grabbed it, and yanked down with all his strength. The mounting arm snapped easily under his weight and the flatscreen broke free, falling to the floor and smashing. Everyone turned to him. “Damn thing wouldn't turn off.”

Chie laughed once, even though she'd been biting her lip to keep from crying. “Good move, Kanji-kun.” Everyone else voiced their thanks in hushed or choked voices.

“Doesn't look like any of the other TVs are showing this,” Ryotaro said as he and Taro returned.

“Thank God,” Taro added. “Whatever this is, it's meant for our...eyes...what happened?” They both stopped walking when they saw the remains of the TV set on the floor.

“It was like that when we got here,” Kanji said.

“Tatsumi...” Ryotaro said.

“N-not now, Dad,” Nanako said. “You didn't...you didn't see the things it started showing us.”

“Like what?”

Nobody answered him, and their silence and faces told him and Taro all they needed to know. It took a full minute for someone to speak up and break the silence. “I-if that was intended to...psychologically torture us, it – seems to have succeeded,” Margaret said, her voice choked. She swallowed and took Taro's hand. After staring into his face for a moment, she embraced him. “I never imagined I could feel such... _ fear _ .”

Taro, who could think of nothing to say, simply placed his arms around her and returned the affection. After a few seconds Margaret added, “I – I did not notice Naoto-san during that...montage.”

It took another half a minute for a response. “Me either,” Nanako said, sniffling and trying, but failing, to keep her composure.  _ Why couldn't I look away? Why did I have to see? _

“Who would put things like that up there for us to see?” Chie said. “What kind of deranged jerk would make it look like I...and Yosuke...”

“Someone who doesn't want you to concentrate on stopping them,” Ryotaro said, placing a hand on Chie's arm. “Someone who wants you too rattled to think or act straight.”

“It...it worked,” Nanako said, kneeling down and hugging Teddie, who was shivering just a little more violently than she was.

“Everyone, we just...need to calm down,” Taro said. “Just take a deep breath. What we saw there was no more than the same kind of threats and lies we got from that Shadow.”

“Just a whole lot more graphic,” Chie said, swallowing to keep from throwing up.

“Easy for you to say, Taro-san,” Rise said, collapsing into the chair and curling into a ball. “You didn't see  _ yours _ . Especially – especially not the  _ second  _ one.” She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see it belonged to Yukiko.

“Rise-chan...I promise I'd never...I'd never...”

Rise immediately pulled her into a hug. It felt so good to be Yukiko's friend again, and not her rival. “I know...I know...”

“Guys, we just need to let it go,” Taro said. “All that was, was some kind of psychological warfare. You guys have been through what would've been the end of the world. None of what we saw there is going to happen, I promise. If you wouldn't let humanity get turned into Shadows, you're not going to let any of  _ that _ happen.”

Nanako had been partially listening to him and partially to Teddie's frightened murmurs, but then felt a jolt to her system very similar to one she'd had twice the day before. She was on her feet instantly. “She's – she's here. She's watching us.”

“What?” Chie said, snapping out of the conversation. “Who?”

“My – 'mom'...” She felt a warmth on her leg and looked down. A rectangle was glowing through the fabric of her pants, the same as it had before, at Junes, when she.... She reached into her pocket and pulled out her Persona card. It was glowing and quite warm to her touch.

“No, not again...” Chie said.

Nanako pressed the card to her forehead. “Persona!” Seraph appeared briefly and the room was bathed in white light. As the light faded a glowing, featureless silhouette remained, standing at the side of Souji's bed. The others scrambled away from it. “What – what on Earth's that?” Yukiko said, helping Rise to her feet as they both backed away.

“You can all see her?” Nanako said.

“Yeah, what the hell is that?” Kanji said.

“ _ I can see there's no hiding from you, my friends _ .  _ Very well. Here I am.” _

The white of the silhouette faded to reveal the person Nanako and Ryotaro had both been seeing, with whom Ryotaro had secretly conversed for those several days while the team was pulling itself back together. The entire team vocalized their surprise, with Rise and Yukiko quickly positioning themselves between it and Souji. “Chisato?” Ryotaro said, stepping forward. “Where have you been? I've been waiting for you since...” he let that thought drift, as he had almost said “ _ since Nanako scared you away yesterday.” _

“I've been – many places,” Chisato said. “A lot has happened in the past day.”

“Nanako-chan,” Chie said, touching her hand, “is this your mother? Who you saw yesterday?”

“She's not my mother,” Nanako said, matter-of-factly. “But yeah, she's what I saw.”

“Nanako...” Ryotaro started.

“No, Dad,” Nanako said. “I'm not bitter or mad or anything. I just know she's not who she looks like she is. So who  _ are _ you, anyway?”

“Nanako, I  _ am _ ...”

“Please stop insulting me,” Nanako said. “I know you're not who you say you are, and  _ you _ know I know it. Just tell us the truth and get on with it.”

“Nanako, please,” Ryotaro said, “you just need to trust her...”

“No, Kana, it's all right,” Chisato said. “She's right. It's time I told you the truth.”

“What?” Ryotaro said, his face losing its color. “Chisato, what – what do you...?”

He was interrupted when Chisato's kimono-clad form flashed bright white again, and then began to change shape. It grew, spreading out just a little, settling on a form that was tall and spread out, with an air of power about it. The shape was still of a woman, but now with a more regal, or as some might describe  _ haughty _ , stance than Chisato had displayed. As the light dimmed, they could see her face was pure white, a thin golden crown at her brow holding her flowing raven hair from her face. Her robe was as pure white as her skin, its inner lining the bright red of blood. Her chest was adorned with many pieces of gold and precious stones. All of her shone, bathing them in light and warmth.

“I have refrained from showing myself to you because of the damage I feared it would cause, but now my staying away would allow more damage than it would prevent.” Her voice was kind and gentle, somewhat like Chisato's but with an almost royal pronunciation of her words. They could hear an echo that was actually audible a split second before the being spoke the words.

“Who are you?” Yukiko said.

The being smiled gently at Yukiko. “You of all your friends should know me best, Yukiko. I am Amaterasu.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ It's so cold here. _

_ Cold is a frame of mind. _

_ I feel lost. _

_ You have been found. _

_ Please let me die. _

_ Why would I do that, when you still have so much work to do? _

Naoto opened her eyes. The light around her was gray and flat, but not so much that she couldn't see clearly enough. However, she had difficulty processing what she saw; it looked familiar, but her brain, muddled and still grief-stricken, was clouded. She had no sense of presence, no sense of orientation. She realized she was weightless, floating, and curled into a fetal position. Her limbs felt sluggish, her joints stiff, as she stretched out, feeling for any sort of purchase. Nothing was within reach.

She tried to remember how she got here. She was at the hospital for some reason that escaped her for the moment. Something to do with...

_ Souji _ , she thought.  _ I went there to...to kill him. _

_ But you failed. _

She'd stopped herself at the last second, and ran away. No, something chased her away.  _ Chased me...and then I ran into  _ him _. He – he rebuffed my feelings and I just...I just ran. Ran...into someone. Someone who said they could help, but then they...they... _

The stranger had somehow brought her here. She twisted and flailed as best she could, and eventually started to slowly spin. As she did so, she realized why the world around her was so familiar: it was the garden at the Shirogane Estate, but only in shades of gray. It was also reversed, just like the Shadow World.

“No...” she said.

“Yes.”

She gasped and looked all around, searching for the source of that voice. Still floating lazily in the air and with no easy way to either slow or speed up her movement, she could find nothing or no one. “Who's there?” she asked, trying and failing to keep her voice even and calm.

“In good time.”

“What do you want with me?”

“To help you, of course.”

“No,” she said. “You're the voice that's been speaking in my head, aren't you? Making me question what I knew, my very sanity! Making me believe what I now know are lies!”

A figure faded into existence before her. It looked very much like the stranger that had “helped” her, dark skin and huge mane of hair and all, except he was now clad in a more traditional man's hakama, a sword scabbard tied at his waist. He strode toward her gently, majestically, on muscular bare feet. “You really are quite intelligent for a mortal, you know. It is likely to get you killed.”

He stopped before her and raised his hand, and she immediately snapped into an upright position, his eyes staring directly into hers. Despite her self-control she felt fear taking over her body and she started to shiver just a little. The man before her smelled like – the best she could describe was that he smelled  _ wet _ . Like it smells outside after a spring rain: heavy, cool, and slightly metallic.

The man smiled. “Not today, though.” He turned and started walking around her. “What makes you believe they were lies?”

“My actions, or lack thereof,” Naoto said, trying to focus her energies into her logic and away from her fear. “If Souji were the villain you made me believe, I would not have failed to act for so long. I would not have failed to see it.”

Without any sound the man was suddenly in her face again, and her shock at his speed made her gasp. “Because of your superior reasoning skills, yes? Your indomitable sense of justice?”

She knew this individual was interrogating her; it was a position in which she did not often find herself, but remembered it enough to know every word she spoke may well determine the length of her life from here on out. And yet, now wasn't the time for false modesty. “Yes.”

The man nodded and walked away slowly, his fingers to his chin as if in thought. “Pride. Some in your world call it a 'deadly sin'. Others view it as tantamount, the most powerful driving force behind your actions. You are as guilty of excessive pride as the one you were hunting. The only difference is that  _ your _ pride is somewhat misplaced. My father chose  _ him _ , not  _ you _ , as his champion. My sister chose to pin her hopes on  _ him _ , not  _ you _ . By virtue alone, you are far less significant than you'd like to believe.”

_ Your – father? _ Naoto thought.  _ Sister? _ “Who – who  _ are _ you?”

The man spun around. “I am the one who wants to save humanity from its own self destructive path. The longer we wait to act, the more danger for humanity.” He stepped forward and touched her cheek. His hand felt cold and damp, and it made her skin crawl. “When you failed to act,  _ every single time _ you failed, you brought humanity closer to its own destruction. While I do not pretend to understand the human concept of 'conscience', I can't imagine how having the weight of humanity's end on yours would feel.”

Naoto shook her head. “I don't believe you.”

The man smiled. “You...” His smile fell, and then reversed into a frown. He spun around and shot a hand toward the sky. The gray sky flashed red for just a moment. “Don't think I'm blind to what you're doing, dear sister!” He spun back upon Naoto. “Time, it seems, is growing short. As is my patience.” He swiped a hand behind him. A wall of water, or at least that was what Naoto assumed it was, despite its lack of color, rushed in from all directions, flooding the Reverse Estate's garden. It thrust past the man as he stood, washing over Naoto, immediately soaking her up to her neck.

She thrashed, but was still held in position by whatever invisible force had gripped her. She cried out, but the man walked up to her in the rising water, grinning easily. “Relax, it won't take long. Forgive the rush, but my sister has broken the rules and is even now trying to empower your 'friends' against you, in defense of the one we must defeat. Together.”

“No...” Naoto said, the water splashing above her chin. She wasn't going to let this man, or being, or whatever he was, poison her against her friends.  _ Any _ of them. Not again. She took a final deep breath as the water covered her face, and then her head, leaving her and the man completely immersed in the flood.

“ _ You're wasting your energy,” _ the man said, and she could hear him quite clearly through the water. It took her a moment to realize he was again speaking directly into her head, rather than her ears. “ _ Just let it happen. Do you think I'd let harm come to you, when you're so needed?” _

Naoto held her lips and nose tightly shut, letting out only a close-mouthed protest. The man rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He then twirled his fingers at her, as a sign of impatience.

She had always been a strong swimmer, able to hold her breath for what she considered a decent amount of time. She was trapped in place, and so chose to preserve her energy and the little oxygen she had left. She brought her arms and legs back into herself and did her best to will herself into calm.  _ Just hold on...hold on for a few more seconds... _

“ _ Kindly quit wasting my time,”  _ the man said. “ _ You know what's coming, so just get it over with.” _

She didn't even waste the energy to shake her head. She could feel her strength wasting away the longer she held the same, used-up air in her lungs, combined with the pressure on her chest begging her, crying to her, to just take a breath. The feeling she'd had days before, back before her memories had returned, was back in full force.  _ I'm going to die _ , she thought.  _ This is how I'll die. I may as well get it over with, then, if only to stop this thing from using me as his pawn. Grandfather, I'm so sorry I failed you. I failed the family. It ends with me, here, now. _ She squeezed her eyes shut.  _ Kanji, please believe that I loved you, and that I love you now. What I did was selfish, and I don't deserve your love, but please, just remember me. _

It was time. She took a few seconds to steel her resolve, and then opened her mouth and nose, forcing the dead air out of her lungs. She inhaled instinctively, drawing in the heavy, cold water. It burned every part of her as it filled her mouth, her nose, her sinuses, her lungs.  _ It hurts _ , she thought.  _ It hurts...it...it... _ Reflexively she exhaled and inhaled a few more times, her lungs now desperate for oxygen, and she felt just a little panic that she could get none, even though she knew exactly what she was doing.

She felt so tired. So tired. She closed her eyes for what she was sure would be the last time, closed them on the smiling man standing before her, tendrils of red rising before her eyes like wisps of smoke. Without the energy to hold it upright, she let her head roll onto her shoulder.

_ Goodbye...everyone... _

A hand, now warm, was on her cheek and lifted her head back up. Another forced her eyelids open, and while she could see or think about very little, she could still recognize the face in front of her. It was danger, though she was losing track of how she knew that, or what kind of danger it was.

“ _ Good, Detective,” _ the man said. “ _ Now we can finally begin.” _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A-Amaterasu?” Yukiko said, her hands at her mouth. “The – the real one? Not my Persona?” She took half a step forward and then stopped, wavering in place.

Nanako looked at her, feeling a strong sense of what she supposed was devotion from Yukiko. Of course, Amaterasu must have been the one to whom Yukiko prayed the most. That would explain why her Persona had taken on the form and name. As such, she got the distinct feeling that her friend was about to prostrate herself in deference.  _ No, don't do it, _ she thought.  _ She's here to interfere. Don't let her have that power over you. _ She couldn't read much from Amaterasu, or whatever this being was that claimed it was the goddess of sun, but even with it revealing itself, Nanako was sure there was more beneath the surface.

“Yes, Yukiko,” Amaterasu said. “Your faith is strong. You know it is I. Your faith in me allowed your Persona to take on my image and name.”

Yukiko stood there for a moment, staring at the goddess, more tears starting to fill her eyes. She squeezed them shut, and then shouted out, “What do you think you're doing to us! Didn't we prove by beating Izanami that we don't want to be meddled with?”

Everyone, even Amaterasu, appeared surprised at her outburst. Nanako, however, smiled.  _ Good for you, Senpai. _

“I see,” Amaterasu said. “Your experience has made you...somewhat jaded.”

“We're tired of your kind screwing around with us!” Kanji said, stepping forward. “Just leave us the hell alone!”

“Please believe me, you know not what you're asking by that,” Amaterasu said.

“Actually, I believe they do,” Margaret said, taking her place at Yukiko's side. She tilted her head back, regaining some of her quiet dignity. “Have they not already proven worthy of determining their own destinies, and that they do not require your intervention on their behalf?”

Amaterasu smiled and nodded slightly. “That they have, daughter of another world. And yet there are many in my world who disagree. They are the ones you should fear, not me.”

“So you came here to warn us?” Taro said. “We already figured out there was more to this. For all we know,  _ you're _ the one behind all this.”

“Yeah, that's right,” Nanako said. “You've been talking to Dad this whole time, hiding from me because you knew I'd see you. That's it, isn't it? You've been manipulating this whole thing, and you knew I'd see right through you!”

Amaterasu sighed, and then looked down at Souji's unconscious form. Rise threw herself over him. “You keep away from him! You're gonna have to get through me!”

“All of us!” Chie said, placing herself between the bed and Amaterasu, her Persona card in her hand. “I don't know if this'll work, but I'm sure as hell gonna try!” The others followed suit, forming a veritable wall of armed Persona-users between the goddess of the sun and Souji, Even Ryotaro, with powers no greater than a normal man, joined them in facing off against her.

Amaterasu nodded. “Your devotion to him is admirable, even after all the tribulations you've experienced. But please try to understand: I am not your enemy.”

“Then why didn't you just appear like this?” Ryotaro said. “Why'd you have to come looking like Nanako's mother? My wife? Why did you lie to me?”

“You needed to see a face you trusted,” Amaterasu said. “I had already intervened too much by restoring your memories, and it was only fortune that my brother did not notice that. I chose to appear as Chisato so I could appear to you in secret, without his knowing.” There was a flash of lightning outside when she said “my brother”, and the rain started hitting the window even harder.

“Your brother,” Yukiko said. “You mean – you have two brothers, don't you? Tsukuyomi and Susano-O?”

“I have one brother,” Amaterasu said, her voice even, though they could sense some bitterness behind it. “Susano-O. He controls the storm.” As if in response, several bolts of lightning flashed in rapid succession. “And he is somewhat unhappy right now.”

“Well what the hell does  _ he _ want?” Kanji said.

“To enslave humanity.”

Margaret tilted her head. “What reason would a god have to  _ enslave _ humanity? What can humanity do that a god cannot accomplish more easily on its own?”

“Humanity can defeat gods,” Amaterasu said. “As you, and others, have proven. Enslaved, you can be prevented from that.”

“Wait, others?” Yukiko said. “What others?”

Amaterasu shook her head. “What you most need to concern yourselves with is the fact that, this time, the god you face is not working alone. Many from our world believe as he does, that humanity has become a danger no longer just to themselves, but to the gods as well. Izanami, the most powerful of us, fell at your hands.” She gestured to Souji. “ _ His _ hands. He controlled the power of a god. He proved that, if only for a moment, a human can  _ become _ a god.” She fixed her gaze on Nanako. “Transcending the natural, becoming the supernatural. They believe you must be stopped before you learn to do so again.”

Nanako felt Amaterasu staring into her very soul, and it made her uneasy. She couldn't really feel the mind of the goddess before her, but she was sure there was something more in the gaze. A warning? A threat? She felt the urge to back down, but refused to do so. She still didn't trust this Amaterasu, if that was who she really was, and she wasn't going to abandon her Big Bro out of cowardice.

“Uh, how many gods are we talking here?” Chie said. “Five, ten, a dozen?”

Amaterasu shook her head in what appeared to be restrained exasperation. “The number matters not, and you are better off not knowing. Suffice it to say, my brother leads them.”

“So we beat Susano-O, and end all this,” Taro said. “Sounds a little too simple to me.”

“Please,” Amaterasu said, “try to understand. My brother is not evil, nor does he wish it upon you. We gods have as much a right to exist as you do. He believes that the only way to preserve our existence is to subjugate you.”

“And what do you believe?” Taro said.

Amaterasu looked over them all. “I believe that all that happens, does so for a reason. If it is destiny that humanity should eventually rise up and overthrow, or even destroy, the gods, then that is what must be. I hope that will not be the outcome, but if it happens then it was meant to happen.”

“So you say we should be left alone,” Rise said, finally rising from her position over Souji and taking her place with the group. “Then why are you even  _ here _ ?”

“Because my brother is preparing to destroy you. He has been preparing it for years. The things you called Memflies were only part of it. Did you not see the images of the intended future he sent you?” She pointed to the TV set lying face-down on the floor, and lightning immediately flashed outside, the thunder crashing at the exact same instant. The lights in the room flickered, went out for a moment, and then came back on.

“Y-you mean...your brother, this Susan guy...he put all that horrible stuff up there?” Teddie said. “And you want us to believe he's  _ not  _ evil?”

“He is not,” Amaterasu said. “Misguided and manipulative, yes, but not evil.”

“All right,” Ryotaro said. “Let's say we believe you. What are we supposed to do? Pray for help?”

Nanako looked up at her father. She heard the sarcasm in her statement, and despite her disillusionment with the nature and motivation of the gods, it stung just a little. She wondered, for the first time, if it were because he truly believed praying was pointless, and whether he was only saying it now, or if he'd always believed it. Thinking about that would do little to help their current situation, though, so she tried to put it away to brood about later.

“That would...likely do little good,” Amaterasu said. “Those that do not support my brother are standing aside, watching for the outcome.”

“Except for you,” Yukiko said.

“I believe strongly that we should not interfere, except when asked, and then only indirectly.”

“But you've been here without us asking,” Rise said. “Interfering. So you're breaking your own rules.”

Amaterasu shook her head. “Rules mean little any more. My brother has already directly intervened in so many ways. Is intervening right now.” She gestured to the window. “Do you believe that is natural, as you would define it?”

“He's gonna beat us by making it rain?” Teddie said.

“Possibly,” Amaterasu said, “but if you do not face him, sooner or later he  _ will  _ find a way to kill you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The climb was much more difficult than he thought it would be. He felt heavy, his limbs simply not giving him much strength to pull himself to the next rung. The false energy he'd felt as he wandered through the endless nothing was gone. He was lethargic, as if he hadn't slept in days, and his body was finally telling him it was time to get caught up. Still, he willed himself to go on, rung by rung. He hadn't counted, but he had to have crossed at least thirty of them. Fifteen meters up, rough guess. Though he didn't think this place, whatever it was, quite followed all the rules of physics as he knew them, he was sure that a fall from this height would do him no good.

Staying in place wasn't an option either. He had no choice but to continue upward, and as he did so he thought he heard a voice, just at the edge of where he could perceive it. He couldn't understand what it was saying, nor could he discern whose voice it was, but as he heard it he felt his strength grow little by little.

The further he went, the clearer the voice became. He still couldn't understand the words, but he could tell it was Nanako's voice. He'd known that, if anyone could hear him, it would be Nanako, and hearing her voice helped him just a little. He continued on, some of his strength returning.

“ _...on, you can do it...feel you there...need you now...” _

“Little Sis,” he said, grunting with the exertion. “I can...I can hear you.”

“ _ Big Bro! I can hear you too!” _

“I'm...coming,” he said, grunting with each step. He took a moment to look up toward the top of the seemingly-endless tunnel. The light seemed no closer than it was from the bottom. He sighed and hefted himself up one, two, three more rungs. “Might...take a while, but I'm coming.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wait, he's gonna  _ kill  _ us? Why?” Teddie said. “Can't he just come talk to us or something?”

“We're the biggest threat to him,” Chie said. “Isn't that right?”

Amaterasu's eyes followed Nanako as she slipped around the others to stand at Souji's side, but she continued speaking to them. “In his point of view, you are a threat both to humanity and to the gods, and the only option available is to end your lives.”

“Well if you gods would stop acting like we're here for your amusement we wouldn't be!” Yukiko said.

“One thing you apparently have left to learn about humans is we don't like being pawns, and we don't like someone else controlling what we do.” Taro, the first to do so, put away the Persona card he was holding and crossed his arms. “Tell us something's impossible and we'll find a way to do it. Beat us down and we'll fight back even harder, even if it ends up killing us.”

“That is what my brother fears the most,” Amaterasu said, “and that is his motivation.”

“Then we are at an impasse,” Margaret said. “The root of the matter is this: one side must defeat the other.”

“Good versus evil all over again,” Chie said. She cracked her knuckles. “I'm up for a fight.”

“Please do not see it as a fight against evil,” Amaterasu said. “I promise you, my brother is  _ not _ evil. He does things that, in your simple concept of morality you might  _ consider _ evil, but he believes they are for the greater good.”

Rise shook her head. “A lot of evil people have used that kind 'end justifies the means' stuff as an excuse. In the end they were just doing what they wanted because the only good they were doing was for themselves.”

“If we gotta fight him,” Kanji said, “we're gonna to what we gotta do to win. I don't give a damn if he's evil or not. If he's trying to kill us we're gonna consider him evil and that's that!”

The rest of the team, except for Nanako, vocalized their agreement with him. Amaterasu gazed over them all. “I see.” She fixed her gaze on Nanako. “Nanako, do you agree with them?”

Nanako didn't answer; she was, instead, fixed on Souji. Everyone turned to her. “Nanako-chan?” Rise said, moving to her side. “What's wrong?”

“Quiet,” Nanako said, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. “He's coming back.”

“What?” Yukiko said. “You can feel him?”

“I hear him,” Nanako said. “He's trying hard to come back to us.”

Rise touched his cheek and laid a hand on his chest. While it was warm and his chest was rising and falling, he otherwise remained as still as he'd been when he first collapsed. “Senpai? Can you hear me?”

Chie rushed to him, almost knocking Rise away. “Hey, wake up!” She grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him.

“Stop it!” Yukiko said, grabbing her arms. “For God's sake, Chie, it's not like he's just asleep!”

“No, it is more than that,” Amaterasu said. “The power he wielded when he banished Loki was beyond what he was prepared for. The sheer force of it propelled his soul...elsewhere.”

“Hey, none of that 'elsewhere' crap,” Kanji said. “You wanna tell us everything, then do it. Quit with the coy bullshit.”

“K...it yell-ng...”

All eyes immediately turned to Souji. “Senpai?” Rise said. She pressed her hands to the sides of his face. “Senpai? Was that you?”

“I knew you could hear us Big Bro,” Nanako said. “C'mon, just a little more, you can do it. Keep climbing. Just a little more, and you're there.”

“Climbing?” Taro said. The question went unanswered.

“He has almost arrived,” Amaterasu said. “Patience. It is a fight for him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He could hear their voices yelling. The one voice, that which he'd heard from the sister, seemed to be the one they were yelling at. They were making the tunnel echo, and the higher he climbed, the more it made his head hurt. “Quit yelling!” he shouted.

The voices stopped. I took him a moment to realize that they had actually heard him. For the first time since he'd started this climb, they could actually  _ hear _ him. He was, finally, almost back. He laughed silently and hugged the ladder, momentarily stopping his ascent. The giddiness made his fingers feel slightly weak, and for a second he feared he would let go.

And then he remembered.  _ Traitor. Someone's going to betray us. Are they up there now? I have to hurry and warn everyone. _ He gritted his teeth, strengthened his grip, and continued upward.

“I knew you could hear us, Big Bro. C'mon, just a little more, you can do it. Keep climbing. Just a little more, and you're there.”

_ I sure hope so _ , he thought. Flexing his fingers a few times to, he continued his ascent.

“Climbing?”

“He has almost arrived. Patience. It is a fight for him.”

“The sister,” he muttered, grunting as he pulled to the next rung. “Are you the sister?”

“Sister?” came a voice that he was pretty sure was his uncle's.

“Yes, I am the one you heard. You also heard my brother, I believe.”

There was a cacophony of voices, making the tunnel echo again. “Will you all quit yelling?” he shouted.

The voices died down a bit. “What'd he say?”

“He said quit yelling,” Nanako said. “Where he is, it's loud and hurting him.”

Everything fell into silence, and Souji sighed in relief. “He, your brother, said we'd be betrayed,” he said.

“What'd he say? 'Beef tray'?”

“Oh, he must be hungry!”

“No, Teddie, I – I think he said 'betrayed'.”

“Betrayed? What?”

“Who's going to betray us?” Souji called out, trying to get in around everyone else's voices.

“I cannot tell you.”

“Not this again! Listen, you came to us! Stop trying to hide things!”

“Yeah! Who's gonna betray Senpai? Tell us and I promise we'll...”

“That is precisely why I cannot tell you.”

“Oh bullshit!”

The sudden yelling was a shock to Souji's nerves, and he almost lost his grip on the ladder. He just barely caught himself from falling, but his head was ringing. He channeled that into energy to force himself up the ladder faster, but spared enough strength to inflect each word as he shouted, “Will – you – please – stop –  _ yelling _ !”

He heard a couple gasps, and realized that his body must have shouted the words. He felt a little embarrassed, but at least they'd all shut up for a moment and give his head a rest. He took a moment and dared to look up yet again. He could see now that the light was bright red, with dark lines spiderwebbed through it.  _ Man, if I could just see... _

The red slid away, and a brighter light filled the tunnel. It blinded him for a moment, but as his eyes adjusted he could see something beyond it. It was blue, whatever it was, against a white background.

“Oh my God he opened his eyes!”

Suddenly, as the voices returned with murmurs he saw the perspective overhead shift, and in it appeared a blurred face. “Senpai? Can you hear me? Can you see me?” The face slowly came into focus, revealing it to be Rise's.

“A sight for sore eyes,” he said, before he realized he'd been thinking it.

“What'd he say?”

“Something about four eyes.”

Rise's eyes looked red, her hair and face haggard, but he'd never seen her smile so widely. “Rise? Yes, I can see you.”

“Oh, Senpai!” She disappeared from view and the perspective shook a little. He felt something, a slight pressure on his chest, and he had to grip the ladder tightly to keep from slipping. His hands had grown slick with sweat from his impossibly long climb, and the last thing he wanted was to fall especially after coming so far.

“Almost there, Big Bro. Just a little more and you won't have to worry about falling ever again.”

“Nanako, what are you talking about?'

“I can feel him, Dad. He's climbing a long ladder back to the real world, and he's only got a little bit to go.”

Souji wanted to say that he thought it was metaphorical, that whatever was really happening to him, the ladder was just how he was perceiving it. He instead decided to keep his mouth shut and keep climbing, slowly, surely, despite the continued pressure on his chest. At the very least, he wanted to be out of this damned echo chamber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Rise-chan,” Yukiko said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “let him breathe, okay?”

“But...but I...I just miss him so much,” Rise said, not caring how pathetic that made her sound. “I won't leave him alone again, not for a second.”

“Uh, yeah,” Chie said, “um, that's kinda what we need to talk to you about.” She turned up to look at Amaterasu. “And you, too. What's going on with our heads? I mean, even after the Memflies were gone...”

“...we thought...” Yukiko amended.

“...we're still messed up,” Chie continued. “I mean, well, you see.” She gestured to Rise. “That's not normal.”

“Oh shut up,” Rise said.

Amaterasu sighed. “I learned my brother's influence is greater than I'd previously thought. He has also convinced one, who I thought was my ally, to join him. You may know her as the goddess of love, Benzaiten.”

“God-dess of...love,” Souji said.

“Don't worry about it, Big Bro,” Nanako said. “You just worry about climbing those last few steps. We'll talk when you make it all the way.”

“Under his direction she had been affecting your minds. Strengthening your emotions, especially love and attraction. In your case, Yukiko, your love for him.” Yukiko's face flushed and she turned away. “And yours, Rise.” Rise released her hug and looked up at the goddess. “He intended to pit the two of you against each other, I believe. The whole purpose of this, and of the 'Memflies' as you call them, was to split you all apart and make you vulnerable. Make  _ him _ vulnerable.”

“Make him vulnerable?” Taro said. “Why did he need to do that? Why not simply kill Souji-kun in his sleep?”

“Don't give her any ideas!” Kanji said.

“Because Souji was my father's champion,” Amaterasu said. “He channeled the energy of my father, Izanagi, as well as the power of all your love for him, into conquering Izanami. He proved beyond any doubt that a human can stand against the most powerful of us and not only survive, but  _ triumph _ . Killing him would not be enough, he must fully defeat you all, either through treachery, or through battling and defeating you at your strongest.”

“Great, an 'honorable' villain,” Chie said.

“Loki was the first test,” Amaterasu continued. “Considered a lesser god by many, including myself, and yet he was able to manipulate your friend's Shadow, long lost and lonely in the other world, into using the fragments of his power to create a place where the 'Memflies' could easily touch the minds of everyone.”

“Wait, about that,” Yukiko said. “The Memflies were around three years ago, right? They took over Kanji's mind. Was Loki with Susano-O even back then?”

“No,” Amaterasu said. “The 'Memflies' were given to my brother by one of his followers, and he was the first to use them.”

“Wait, then – who gave them to him?” Rise said.

Amaterasu hesitated. “What you must understand is that, in some ways, the world of the gods is quite the same as your world. We love. We fight. Sometimes we die. We go to war against each other. There has been a civil war fomenting for some time now. The seeds were sown several of your years ago when a group of young people, not unlike yourselves, sealed away a god that threatened to bring death to all humanity.”

The team stood in shocked silence, except for Margaret, who nodded slowly. “It is true. My sister, Elizabeth, was – greatly involved in those events. You even unknowingly visited the site of that battle several years ago, during your original investigation.”

“Wait, what?” Kanji said. “Where the hell was that?”

“It is not important,” Margaret said. “That battle is long since won.”

“How come we never heard about that?” Chie said. “You'd think that'd be on the news, or maybe someone there would've said something.” She turned to Margaret. “Why didn't  _ you  _ tell us?”

“Knowing would have not helped you,” Margaret said. “It had little to do with anything you've dealt with.”

“Well it sounds like it sure does now,” Ryotaro said.

“No,” Amaterasu said, shaking her head, “the daughter of another world is correct. The catalyst is unimportant to you; what matters is what you must do now. My brother has emerged as the leader of the faction that believes humanity must be controlled, lest it eventually threaten the gods with destruction. As such, he has targeted those humans with the most potential to defeat the gods. The other group before you may have been the first to spark dissent, but your power, and  _ his _ ,” she gestured to Souji, who was lying with eyes open and lips barely moving, “is the true threat to us. Or so my brother believes.”

“So we're gonna have to fight a whole bunch of gods?” Rise said.

“If Souji-kun can use the same power he used against Izanami, maybe he can,” Taro said.

“Do not believe that my brother hasn't learned from Izanami's mistakes,” Amaterasu said. “He has already sowed dissent between you, as I said. Yukiko and Rise, he sought to pit you against each other by intensifying your feelings for Souji almost to the point of obsession. And yet you defeated his efforts, because of your friendship with each other, and your decency as human beings. He underestimated you.”

“Wait, wait, you don't mean...what I'm been feeling for Senpai....it's not real?” Rise said. She looked down at Souji, his eyes still staring out blankly, but she could swear she saw them start to swivel to meet hers. “It was a lie? And what  _ he _ felt for  _ me _ ...was a lie too?”

“Your feelings must have been there already. They were only – amplified.”

“But...but...so I really do love him?” She shook her head. “No, of course I do. I always have. I remember it.” She stabbed a finger into her temple. “That's not fake. But how he feels for me...that's real too?”

“That is up to him to decide,” Amaterasu said.

“But what about Yukiko?” Chie said. “She's been all messed up too, thinking about him. And his Shadow kept saying things about how he was still in love with her.”

Yukiko covered her face with a hand and tried to shrink away.

“So did he,” Rise muttered.

“Huh?” Chie said.

“Souji-senpai said it too,” Rise said. “He told me...told me he was still in love with her. Don't you remember? His Shadow said it too.”

Chie paused for a moment. “Well, yeah, but I figured it was just a lie.”

“Well it wasn't,” Rise said, quietly.

“I cannot hope to fully understand the complexity of human feelings,” Amaterasu interjected. “However, if it is any consolation I can tell you that Benzaiten cannot create feelings where they do not already exist in some form.”

Yukiko returned to Rise's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “So maybe he wasn't  _ in love _ with me. And I'm not with him. Not anymore, I mean. For either of us. Maybe he...maybe he just kind of feels like I feel, missing having someone, and remembering the good parts about when we were together, and...missing it.” She sighed, and then smiled a little. “Kind of...maybe an idealized version of what it was, not remembering the reasons why we're not still together.”

“Yukiko,” Chie said, placing a hand on her arm.

Yukiko turned to her and smiled more convincingly. “Actually, this kind of makes me feel a lot better. Now I know it. I wasn't falling back in love with him. I mean, I still love him, but like I love the rest of you, you know? Like friends.” She turned to Rise. “Like you too, Rise-chan.”

“Oh, Yukiko-chan,” Rise said, fresh tears starting to fill her eyes. “Really?”

“Yes,” Yukiko said, and sniffled, “really.”

“Hey, c'mon,” Kanji said, his voice shaking a little. He cleared his throat. “Quit it you two. Don't start spreading  _ that _ around now.”

“They're still friends, even after all this! That's just so...so... _ wonderful _ !” Teddie started crying loudly.

“Teddie, will you cut it out?” Chie said.

“Guys, listen,” Taro said, “I can appreciate how important this is, but we have to get back on track.” He turned to Amaterasu. “So we're going to have to face off against your brother, Susano-O. Right?”

“That would appear to be his intention,” Amaterasu said. “His – agent has failed.”

“Agent?” Taro said. “You mean the one who was betraying us.”

“Yes.”

Chie jumped in front of Taro. “No. No way. No way any of us'd betray him. Even when those Memfly things were in our heads and making us crazy.”

“Well, Yosuke did kind of kick Souji's ass,” Yukiko said.

“Well, besides that!” Chie said.

“The betrayer is not among you here,” Amaterasu said.

Chie gasped. “No, not...it  _ couldn't _ have been Yosuke! I mean, yeah, he and Souji got in a fight, but that totally wasn't his fault!”

“No...” Kanji said. “No, I don't believe it. She'd never do that.”

“Huh?” Teddie said. “Who you talking about?”

“Naoto?” Rise said. “Are you saying Naoto's gonna turn on us?” Amaterasu nodded. “No, that can't be. I mean, yeah, she flaked out last night when I...” She gasped. “Oh my God, I left her alone with him.”

“What?” Ryotaro said. “I thought you said you weren't going to leave his side.”

Rise was shaking her head, not in denial but in disbelief. “I – I...Naoto came in and...she apologized for everything. And I apologized too, and she offered to stay with him while I went to go wash up. When I came back she was gone and Senpai's breathing tube was... She was gonna kill him!” She put her hands to her mouth briefly, and then leaned into Souji's face. Slowly his eyes fixed on hers. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you, I can't believe she almost...it would've been my fault...I'm so sorry...”

“Not...your...fault...” Souji said. “Nobody...knew...”

“Try not to talk, Big Bro, just keep climbing. I'll talk for you.” Nanako opened her eyes for the first time and touched Rise's arm. “He says it's not your fault. You had no way of knowing. He was...what?” She glanced at Souji's body, and then closed her eyes for a moment to get a fix on his soul. She then opened her eyes and fixed them coldly on Amaterasu. “You knew. You knew, and you didn't do anything about it?”

“Yes,” Amaterasu said. “I could not interfere. I had to let happen what would happen. As you are all aware, she did not kill him.”

“Captain obvious,” Chie muttered.

“No, I don't believe it,” Kanji said. “That's complete bullshit. Naoto'd never do something like that. She's the most loyal person I've ever known. She'd rather kill herself than do something like that!”

“My brother entered her mind, shortly after Loki was forced out of yours,” Amaterasu said, glancing at Nanako. “Unlike Loki, my brother is subtle and smart. He whispered lies into her mind, masking them as her own thoughts. She eventually believed them to be her own, because she could no longer differentiate between them.”

“No, no way,” Kanji said. “She's too smart for that. No way she'd fall for it.”

“But why didn't she...” Chie started. “I mean, why...  _ why _ didn't she kill him? Did she resist?”

“ _ I drove her off.” _

“Wha – who said that?” Nanako said.

There was tapping on the floor behind them and they turned to see the fox walking toward them, still favoring her rear leg. Despite the injury, though, she leaped onto Souji's bed. Nanako and Rise converged over Souji to protect him, but the fox seemed to land easily next to his legs.

“F-fox?” Yukiko said. “How did you get in here?”

The fox stepped forward sat at the edge of the bed. Her fur began to glow, and her features morphed and stretched. Her long animal snout retracted into her face, her forepaws grew into five-fingered hands, and her legs stretched out, ending in five-toed feet. Within seconds, where there had been an orange-furred fox now sat a woman, draped in loose wisps of cloth that barely covered her nudity, sitting on the edge of the bed. While she appeared human, she retained some features from the fox form; her skin was dark and scaly in places, looking like severe burns. Her left leg was swollen and blotchy purple below the knee. Some patches of hair were missing from her head, and she had both old and new scars across her body. “I am Oinari, though of course we've already met.”

“She has been watching over Souji-san,” Margaret said. “She would not let any harm come to him.”

“I  _ knew _ you were here!” Teddie said. “You're...kinda pretty, you know? Even when you're all banged up. Makes you look  _ tough _ .”

Oinari nodded gracefully to Teddie. “She tried to harm him, but I drove her off.”

“Wait, wait, hold up a sec,” Chie said, “you mean, you're the same fox that went into the Shadow World with us all those times?”

“Yes,” Oinari said, though it almost sounded like she had barked, “Yip.”

“All this time, this is who you were underneath?” Rise said.

“This is a mere form, just as my four-legged self is. My real form would be...incomprehensible to you.”

“So  _ you've _ been interfering too,” Yukiko said. “Coming with us, helping us keep our strength so we could keep fighting.”

“I wouldn't consider it interference,” Oinari said. “After all, I did charge for my services.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Chie said. “We kept having to pool our money together to pay you, too.” She scoffed. “Some help that was.”

“I offered a service, and you accepted my terms.”

“Thank you,” Nanako said. Oinari turned to her. “Big Bro...Souji says thank you for all your help.”

“No thanks are needed,” Oinari said. “As I said, I provided my services for a fee. However, if he wishes to thank me for saving his life twice, free of charge...” she grinned, revealing the fangs of a carnivore, “then I accept.”

“So you chased her off, huh?” Kanji said, changing the subject. “You better not have hurt her, or I swear I'm gonna...” He sputtered for a moment. “I'll...I'll think of something that'll hurt the hell out of you!”

Oinari shifted her gaze to Kanji, both slit-pupiled eyes staring directly into his. “I did not harm her. She ran off as soon as I appeared.” She stood, balancing on her right leg leg, towering over Kanji. She displayed her fingers, and for the first time everyone saw they ended in very vicious-looking claws. “Don't threaten me.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Ryotaro said, slipping in between them. “Tatsumi, settle down.”

“Do you know where she went?” Chie asked. “We gotta help her!”

“No,” Oinari said, sitting back down. “Once your friend ventured out into the storm I lost sight of her.”

“No,” Kanji said. “I don't friggin' believe it. I refuse to believe Naoto did what you're sayin'. She's not a goddamn killer!”

“We'll find her, Kanji-kun,” Yukiko said. “We'll find out the truth.”

“Where is she?” Rise said, her voice low. “Tell me where she is. I swear this time I'll kill her.”

“Rise-chan!” Yukiko snapped.

“Please do not hate your friend,” Amaterasu said. “My brother has the power of many different gods behind him, and has used every trick of which he is capable to twist her mind. If anything, you should pity her. If she is as loyal as you say, then this entire process must have been sheer torment for her.”

“Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions about her,” Taro said. “She deserves the benefit of our doubt, even more than I deserved it when you all gave me my chance to live. We need to find her and  _ help _ her. Where is she?”

“I...do not know,” Amaterasu said. “I also lost sight of her in the storm, and...”

Suddenly there were clomping, squeaking footsteps in the room, and they all turned to see Yosuke, soaked to the bone, trying to catch his breath. “Hey, guys! Sorry it took so long, but...” He stopped partway in the room. His eyes darted between the almost naked woman, and the other, taller woman, bathed in white light, standing over them all. “Um...did I miss something here?”

“You have no idea,” Taro said.


	20. Found

“Okay,” Yosuke said.

“What? Just 'okay'?” Chie said.

Yosuke shrugged. “Sure. I mean, I think I'm past the point of not believing something because it's unbelievable, you know? So you tell me they're gods,” he gestured to Amaterasu and Oinari, “and another god wants to kill us. My Persona, in fact. And Nanako-chan's got a power that lets her talk for Souji even though he's in a coma, but it's not really a coma, it's more like a really long ladder. That about cover it?” He shrugged. “Pretty typical for this group.”

“Um, I think he's got brain-lock or something,” Teddie said. He leaned over and stared into Yosuke's eyes.

Yosuke waved him off, but Teddie reciprocated by rapping on his forehead with is knuckles. “Hey, quit it!” He swatted at Teddie's arm. “What'd I tell you about doing that?” He shook his head. “Anyway, what's the point in getting all worked up? Not gonna change the facts.”

“Hey, you forget something?” Kanji said. “While we're here talking Naoto's in trouble! Doesn't anyone give a damn about that?”

“What?” Yosuke said, releasing Teddie's wrist. “What kinda trouble?”

Chie rubbed her forehead. “Well, it's kinda more complicated...”

“She tried to kill Senpai,” Rise said, almost growling.

Yosuke shook his head. “Wait, she what? Kill  _ who _ ?”

“Souji-san,” Margaret said.

“She's being controlled by that other asshole god!” Kanji said. “Look, enough of this talking crap!” He started marching toward the door.

“Hey, hold up,” Taro said, stepping into his path. “We have to...”

“Hell with that,” Kanji said, blowing past him. Ryotaro went after him and grabbed his arm. Kanji stopped walking and immediately swung his other arm around wildly, not particularly aiming for any body part. Ryotaro redirected Kanji's swing, ducking under his arm and grabbing it, bringing it around, and locking the younger man's arms in a crossed position. Kanji cried out and his legs buckled, causing him to stumble into the wall, with Ryotaro keeping his hold. “Ow ow ow! Get off, dammit! My friggin' shoulder!”

Ryotaro released him and he leaned forward, his right hand immediately shooting to his left shoulder while that arm went limp. “Ow! Goddammit!” He kicked the wall behind him, leaving a dent in the shape of his heel. “What the hell's wrong with you?”

“Listen,” Ryotaro said. “You're upset, and you want to help Naoto. We all do. But if you go running off like an idiot we're going to have to rescue  _ two _ people instead of one! Do you hear me, Tatsumi?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kanji said. “Just – I'm gonna have to get my arm wrapped up again!”

“Then consider yourself lucky that's all that happened,” Ryotaro said, stabbing at his face with his finger. “Don't ever take a swing at a police officer again.” He sighed. “You're emotional about this. We all are.” He glanced at Amaterasu. “Having someone you care about taken away from you like it's nothing.” He turned back to Kanji. “But you can't let it take you over. Stop and think before you act, because this isn't just about you. It's not just about us. It's about everyone, everywhere.”

“Fine, fine, I get it!” Kanji said, still wincing and rubbing his shoulder. “But we can't just sit here! How do we know what that thing's doing to Naoto?”

“May I suggest you don't wait too long to find out?” Amaterasu said. “My brother is – desperate. He will do whatever he feels he must, and hurting your friend is not beyond him.” The thunder crashed again, even louder than before. “I believe he protests too strongly.”

“So what do we do?” Chie said. “We can't just sit here, but we need a plan!”

“But what about Senpai?” Rise said. “We can't just leave him here alone, either!” She gripped his hand. “I'm staying with him.”

“This'll probably be a battle,” Chie said. “We can't fight without you, Rise-chan.”

“I can take her place!” Teddie said. “My nose is as...as...” He leaned back, and then sneezed violently. Yosuke and Margaret were standing in front of him at that moment; Yosuke jumped out of the way just in time, but Margaret remained, flinching only a little when the sneeze occurred.

She arched an eyebrow and raised her hand to her eye, examining the tiny droplets that had been deposited on it. “That was a sneeze, correct? Is it not traditional to cover one's mouth?” She started to wipe her hand on her dress, but Yukiko took her wrist.

“No, like this.” She wiped the back of Margaret's hand on Teddie's shirt. “We girls call that 'Return to Sender'.”

“Ewww!” Teddie said, scrambling away from them.

“It was yours in the first place!” Yosuke said.

“Guys, can we focus?” Chie said. “Look, Teddie, no offense, but you're nowhere near as good as Rise-chan, and we're gonna need everyone at their best on this.” She turned back to Rise. “We need you.”

“I will continue protecting him,” Oinari said from her seat at the foot of the bed. She turned to Souji. “He will continue to be safe under my watchful eye.”

Rise shook her head. “Look, thanks, but I mean, you know, he needs someone he  _ knows _ to be here for him. To help him come back the rest of the way, you know?”

Souji grunted, making his first sound since Yosuke had arrived. “Don't – don't let me...hold you up...not important...”

“Big Bro! Don't you say that!” Nanako said. “You  _ are _ important!”

Souji stirred and started to sit up, groaning as he did so. “Senpai!” Rise said, rushing to his side. The oxygen tube had become trapped under his the pillow and tugged against his throat; she pulled it free before it could snap off his face. As he neared a full sitting-up position his eyes rolled upward, and he started to fall back. Rise and Nanako put their hands behind him, grunting as they strained against his weight, trying to let him back down as gently as possible.

“That...was...hard...” he said, breathing deeply with each word.

“Don't you hurt yourself!” Nanako said. “I mean it!”

“Just need...to get...a little higher up...”

“You concentrate on climbing,” Nanako said. “You just worry about that and we'll take care of the rest.”

He grunted and started to lift his head, but several pairs of hands held him down. “Stop trying to be a hero!” Yukiko said, now at Rise's side and with one of her hands pressing on his shoulder. “You're only human. You need to worry about getting better.”

“Been waiting to tell me that...for a long time, huh?” Souji said.

Yukiko said nothing. In her place, Rise said, “Just sit tight, okay? For us?”

“Damn, there's no stopping you, huh?” Yosuke said, peering over Rise's shoulder.

Souji's eyes swiveled slowly toward him. “Welcome...to the...party,” he said.

“You're kinda looking like crap, you know,” Yosuke said.

“Better...than you look...on a good day...” Souji delivered, his lips slowly curling into a smirk.

Yosuke blew a raspberry through his lips. “Only in your dreams.”

Chie rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. “Why do guys have to insult each other all the time?”

“It's a lot more masculine than saying, 'You're looking good today',” Taro said.

“All right,” Kanji said, swiveling his shoulder and grumbling when it reached a tender spot. “Whoever's staying with him, then stay. I'm going after Naoto. Whoever's coming with me, come on.”

“I'm...coming...” Souji said, starting to get up again, but unable to fight the hands holding him down. “C'mon, just...let me try!”

“Uh, yeah,” Chie said. “Sorry, but I don't think that's happening.”

Souji growled. “I'm...not...gonna...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...waste time lying here like a lump!” Souji exclaimed in his exertion. He redoubled his efforts, tugging himself upward with as much strength and speed as he could muster, turning away from the end of the tunnel above and instead focusing directly on the ladder before him.

“No, Big Bro, wait!” Nanako's voice echoed.

“What? What's going on?”

“His eyes – look at his eyes! Senpai! What's wrong?”

“Not...now!” Souji said, grunting again.

“Big Bro, you're pushing too hard! You're gonna fall!”

“No I'm...” Souji started. His right hand, slick with sweat, lost its purchase on the rung he was holding while he was reaching upward with his left. He fell backward, the ladder just out of reach of his flailing arms as his back struck the wall behind him. His feet slipped off the ladder, and he fell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Big Bro, no!” Nanako cried. Before anyone could even think to ask what was happening Nanako flashed white, Seraph appearing over Souji's bed. Oinari yelped and leaped from the bed, eyes and mouth both agape with surprise. She hobbled toward Amaterasu and remained there, watching.

Both Seraph's and Nanako's hands glowed bright blue. Souji's body went completely still, and at the same time Nanako started trembling.

“Nanako!” Ryotaro said. He took her arm but she shook him off.

“Don't touch me!” she cried, squeezing her eyes shut. “I have to concentrate!”

“What – what's going on?” Rise said. She turned to Amaterasu. “What's happening to them?”

“He...he fell...” Margaret said, her voice low as if in shock. “He fell, and she  _ caught _ him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji was breathing hard, and it took him a moment to realize his descent had stopped almost as quickly as it had begun. A cushion had somehow formed underneath him and was holding him in place. While it had stopped his fall, it didn't stop his heart from beating so rapidly that it threatened to crash through his breastbone.

“What...what's going on?”

“ _ I'm...holding you...” _ It was Nanako's voice, speaking directly in his head the same as it had when he'd first heard her in this place. Had he fallen that far?

“Little Sis?”

“ _ Quiet. I'm gonna...try something.” _

He felt himself start to rise upward, and when he looked up he realized the top of the tunnel was a lot further away than it was before he fell. “Nanako, what...?”

“ _ Just shut it, okay Big Bro? Don't talk!” _

The spot of light at the tunnel's end started growing more rapidly. He felt his innards sink to his feet as he shot upward. “Little Sis...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanako was starting to visibly shake as they watched, the phantom-like image of Seraph overhead beginning to blur. Her vibration became more violent, so much so that after a few seconds she appeared to be in the throes of a massive seizure. Rise, still trying to process what Margaret had said, was desperate to do something, to at least  _ say _ something. The problem was that she had no idea what that was. This was something she'd never seen before, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of support she could give aside from staying out of the way, staying silent, and hoping beyond hope that Nanako knew what she was doing.

They could all only stare at her and Seraph as the blue glow at their hands grew more intense. Taro glanced at Amaterasu and saw her staring at Nanako with a slight smile on her lips. Oinari, on the other hand, looked almost terrified, an expression that did not soften even after Amaterasu placed a hand on her shoulder. And then Amaterasu looked at him. Her smile changed from what almost looked triumphant to one of serenity.  _ Don't worry, it'll be all right _ , it seemed to say. Taro didn't quite buy it, though he wasn't sure if it was because of the situation, or because he just didn't trust the goddess.

Sweat poured down Nanako's face and soaked her hair. Her eyes were screwed shut and her lips curled back to show her clenching her jaw tightly, the tendons in her temples pulsing as she strained. And then she started rising off the floor.

“What the hell?” Kanji said, backing away slowly.

“N-Nanako-chan?” Yukiko said.

Nanako's mouth opened. At first she was panting through her teeth, but then she started moaning. The moan grew into a cry, and then as she neared the ceiling, a scream. Suddenly Souji jumped up from the bed, his eyes and mouth opening wide as he let out a cry to rival hers. Nanako's head struck the ceiling, punching a hole in the tile. Her scream ended and she fell to the floor, Ryotaro just barely catching her and tumbling into the air conditioning unit under the window, the flimsy plastic cover cracking easily under their combined weight.

Souji shot into an upright position, eyes wide, breathing rapidly. He'd been moving up the tunnel so fast he couldn't even remember coming to the end of it. The room was spinning, and for a moment he felt as if he was going to collapse. After a moment the spinning stopped, and he started to realize what had happened, and where he was. He blinked, and then looked around. Everyone was there, staring at him, frozen in the moment. He looked down and saw his body, clad in a thin hospital gown, his hands at his side. He lifted them, turned them over, and examined the palms. They were real. They were in front of him. No, they were  _ part _ of him. He could  _ feel  _ them, not at the end of some tunnel, but there with him. They were present.  _ He _ was present.

“S-Senpai?” He looked up to see Rise at his side, her eyes wide and jaw slack. “Is it...are you... _ back _ ?”

He started to talk, but his throat felt wet and clogged. He coughed once, and then managed, “I think...yeah.”

She was upon him in an instant, hugging him for all she was worth. “Oh Senpai! I was so scared I was gonna lose you!”

Her fierce hug surprised him, but he brought up his hands, still a little heavy, and wrapped them around her, placing one at the back of her head. He looked over at the others, smiles and tears in various combinations on everyone's faces. Yukiko appeared to be holding back her tears, but she smiled the most widely. She nodded to him. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” he said, his voice still crackly with phlegm. He coughed again and tried to swallow it. “How...how long...?”

“Too long,” Rise said.

He glanced outside at the dark sky, mostly obscured by the falling rain, and then turned to Ryotaro, holding a limp Nanako in his arms. “Little Sis!” He coughed a couple times into his shoulder, his neck muscles protesting the sudden movement.

“I'm...okay...” Nanako gasped. She opened her eyes to him and smiled weakly. “Told you...I'd take care of it.”

He smiled. “You sure did.” He glanced up and for the first time noticed Margaret standing there with them. She had a small smile on her face, and for a second he thought he could see tears in her eyes.  _ No, can't be _ , he thought.  _ My eyes are just messed up _ . “Hey Margaret. It's been a while.”

“Hello, Souji-san. I know you asked my Master about me, and I apologize for my absence. It is...quite an interesting story, as your friends can attest. But I returned. I kept my promise.”

Souji tilted his head. “Your promise?”

“To save your soul from isolation.”

Souji shook his head. “Huh? Isolation? When did you...what?”

“It will take some time to explain,” Margaret said.

“Okay guys, hold on,” Chie said, stepping between Margaret and Souji. “Am I the only one just a little freaked out here? Nanako-chan, how did you do that?  _ What  _ did you even do? How're you calling your Persona in the real world?”

“Chie, calm down,” Yosuke said. “But yeah, you're right. How did she...?” He turned to where Amaterasu and Oinari had been, by the remains of the TV Kanji had ripped from the wall. Both were gone. “What the...? Where'd they go?”

The door flew open and a nurse rushed in. “Excuse me, can you please be quiet in here? We're getting complaints...” She saw Souji, sitting up and in Rise's embrace. “What are you doing?”

“It's okay,” Souji said, waving a hand to her. “I'm fine.”

The nurse stood, staring at him for a second. Finally she said, “Sit tight, I'm getting the doctor!” She ran back out of the room.

“Guess we've been making too much noise,” Souji said with a chuckle, and then coughed a little to sooth a tickle in his throat.

“Right now I could climb on the roof and scream with joy to the whole town!” Rise said squeezing him a little tighter. Souji thought he could hear a groan or two from the others.

“Wait, hold on, where the hell'd those two go?” Kanji said. “I – thought I was lookin' right at 'em, but I don't remember 'em disappearing!”

“They left, apparently,” Margaret said. “Perhaps they believed their work was done.”

“What work?” Taro said. “They didn't really help us very much.”

“Well, we know who's behind all this,” Yukiko said. “And we know what happened to Naoto-kun.”

“But we don't know where the hell she is!” Kanji said. “Nanako-chan, can you call them back?”

“No,” Nanako said, shaking he head lazily. “I don't think...I can't...I need to...rest a minute.”

“Little Sis,” Souji said. He started to lean over and Rise finally released him. He tried to touch her, but his reach was too short and his back too stiff to lean that far. He started to swing his legs over, but became lightheaded and started to keel over.

Rise caught him. “Hey, quit trying to be the hero for just a minute, okay?”

“I'm okay, just woozy.” He smiled and patted her hand. “Little Sis, thanks.” He reached out to Nanako again, but stayed put this time.

Nanako opened her eyes and looked into his. Her eyelids were heavy, and she could barely keep them open. “Just stop trying to be so macho,” she said, lifting her arm and taking his hand, her wrist and fingers almost completely limp. “Who knows what woulda...” she took a couple breaths, “...happened to you if you fell all the way.”

Souji felt a chill, and squeezed Rise's arm. She, in turn, squeezed him a little tighter. Then, as he realized the show of affection was quite overt and that everyone probably saw it, he glanced to Yukiko. She gave him a small smile and nodded. What did that mean? Did that mean he had her blessing to be close to Rise? Did that mean she really wasn't in love with him anymore? He remembered hearing some of what Amaterasu had said about it, and the way their emotions were being manipulated. Was he, then, not really still in love with Yukiko?

He cleared his throat again and looked over all the others. “You all came for me. Even after everything my Shadow said, after everything I did.”

“Of course we did, you big dope!” Chie said. She walked over and slugged him in the arm.

“Yeah,” Yosuke said. “I mean, you know, I had to make up for kicking your ass and all.”

“You kick my ass?” Souji said. “Keep dreaming.”

“Hey, you want a rematch, I'll be ready. Once you've got something more manly on than that open-butt gown thing.”

Souji's smirk dropped, and he immediately tried to scoot backward toward the pillow, but Rise was holding him too tightly. He felt the nails of one of her hands slide down his bare back and he yelped, jumping in surprise.

Everyone laughed except for him and Kanji, the earlier tension apparently diffused. Even Nanako, whose eyes were barely open, laughed weakly. “Look, um, please tell me my clothes are somewhere around here,” he said.

“All right, look, I'm glad you're okay now, but we don't have a lot of time here.” Kanji walked over to the end of the bed. “Naoto's gone. That Susan guy took her, and even those two didn't know where she is.”

“Or so they said,” Chie mused.

“Why would she lie about that?” Teddie said. “Fox'd never do something like that.”

“How do you know?” Yosuke said. “We didn't even know about what she really was until just now.”

“I dunno, I just  _ know _ it!” Teddie crossed his arms. “She wouldn't lie to us!”

“All right, all right,” Taro said. “Kanji-san's right. We need to start working this out.”

_ Naoto _ , Souji thought.  _ The one who betrayed us, and tried to kill me. Rescue her, maybe. But she's gonna have to answer for a lot of crap.  _ “I'd rather not do it here,” he said. “I can make it back to the house.”

“You sure, Senpai?” Rise said. She let him go and slid around him, sitting on the bed. She slid a hand down his arm. “What if you have a relapse?”

“I won't,” Souji said, doing his best to look and sound like he believed it. He turned to Nanako, who blushed a little. “Little Sis saved me. I'm back all the way, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Well, if we're gonna go, let's go already!” Kanji said.

“All right,” Souji said. “But can I please have some pants?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ _ That's quite a show you're putting on, my brother.” _

“ _ Likewise.”  _ The brother stepped up to her, a small humanoid figure following him. Around its neck was a collar of bright red and blue, attached to his wrist with a chain made of alternating gold and silver links. He looked down at it. “ _ Like my pet? It is truly amazing how susceptible they are to suggestion. Place them in a bit of time compression filled with the worst kinds of torture, and you can peel away that pesky conscious mind like the skin off a piece of fruit. Quite useful when, apparently, only the body is necessary.” _

The sister reached out for the pet, but the brother slapped her hand away. “ _ Let her go. Please, I beg you. She does not deserve this.” _

“ _ They all deserve this!” _ The heavens rumbled with the brother's exclamation. “ _ They turned on us! There was a time when they worshipped us endlessly! Begged for our blessings in everything they did, for things as mundane as washing their hair! We were once the center of their lives.” _

“ _ As I recall, you considered that 'quaint'. Sometimes you called it 'irritating'.” _

“ _ And now they've forgotten us almost completely. The Earth used to sing with prayers, and now it's a barely audible whisper.”  _ He tugged at the chain in his hand, and the pet dutifully stepped forward. “ _ Look at them. They abandoned us for their 'science' and 'rational thought'. We are little more than myths and stories used to frighten children.” _

“ _ So that's what this is about, brother? Not self-preservation, but because you miss being prayed to?” _

“ _ If that were all it was, I could live with it. What I cannot abide is them gaining powers to destroy us.” _

Another voice spoke up. “ _ They are part of the natural order, in their own way.  _ You  _ once cared about the natural order.” _

The brother cast his eyes upon the source of the new voice. His mouth twitched, but he forced it into a frown. “ _ Welcome back, Fox. I...see the lesson we taught you was not learned well enough.” _

“ _ I did not come to suffer your threats.” _ The fox stood beside the sister. “ _ I came to warn you. To warn you, because despite how much I hate you right now, I still care for you. Stop this now. Stop it, or they will destroy you and you will deserve it.” _

The brother scoffed. “I  _ warn  _ you _ : you will be on the wrong side of history. I am not foolish, like Izanami. I will not underestimate them, or allow them to use my father against me. He has promised to remain neutral from now on. As you both well know.” _

“ _ And yet that is not what you fear.” _ The sister tried to step around the brother to the pet, but he yanked the chain and it scampered in between his legs. The sister scowled. “ _ You fear him, because you know it was more than Izanami's underestimation that gave him the victory, more even than Father's help. It was love, something you once understood. Love for his friends, for his family...” _

“ _ Ah, yes.”  _ The brother nodded. “ _ Speaking of his family, you express great pride in your own little pet, my sister. I must admit I find her...fascinating. Quite unlike the others, even your champion. Perhaps I should visit her as well.”  _ He grabbed his pet by the arms and lifted her up to his face. Her eyes, dull and vacant, stared forward into his. “ _ Perhaps she would be more useful, in the end, than you have been, my little Detective.” _

The sister grabbed him and he dropped his pet, who fell to the ground in a heap. “ _ You will leave her alone! She is not yours!” _

The brother blinked for a moment, and then looked down at his pet. “ _ I can't believe you're becoming so violent over...”  _ He gasped. “ _ Ah, I see! Of course, of course! I should have seen this earlier.”  _ He smiled.

The sister shoved him away from her. “ _ She is not Father's champion, nor mine. You  _ will  _ leave her alone.” _

The brother laughed. “ _ This changes things, but only a little. Joined at the hip, they are. I won't really have to alter my plans much.”  _ He looked down at his pet, who had managed to stand and take its place of safety between his legs again. “ _ You still want to be part of them, don't you?” _

“ _ You will not make it that far!” _ The fox was upon him instantly, tearing at him with claws and fangs, roaring ferally. The brother staggered backward for a moment, but the stretched his arms out and brought his hands together, hard, against the fox's head. The fox relented for a moment, which was all the brother needed. He grabbed her by the hair and flung her off him. She tumbled to the ground, landing on her injured leg which made a loud  _ snap.  _ She roared in pain.

“ _ You – you...” _ The brother was panting, and ran a finger across his face. It came back soaked in red. The fox had cut him, deeply. “ _ I should have...should have...destroyed you the first time!” _

“ _ You wouldn't have dared!”  _ The fox cried. The sister tried to help her to her feet but she swung her arm, and the sister backed away. “ _ I don't care if you hate me now, you wouldn't have dared start this by killing me.”  _ Tears and blood flowed from the fox's face. “ _ You are so full of hate now. Hate and greed. I can't believe I ever loved you. That  _ anyone  _ ever loved you.” _ She turned to the sister. “ _ I hope they kill him. I will fight with them and make  _ sure  _ they do.” _

The fox vanished.

The sister turned to him. “ _ There is still time to turn back. This road for power you are following – it doesn't lead where you believe it does.” _

The brother bared his teeth, but then closed his eyes, and his face returned to a mask of serenity. “ _ Do they know you lied to them?” _

“ _ I did no such thing. _ ” She crossed her arms.

“ _ Don't play me for an idiot!”  _ The brother now stood in her face, panting with a slight growl. “ _ Presenting me as the villain, and yourself as the pure-as-snow protector. Do me the courtesy of the truth.” _

“ _ The same as the truth you told me? The truth about our little wager being a front for your bid for power?” _

“ _ How about the truth  _ you  _ told  _ me _ , that you would not directly interfere?” _

The sister shook her head. “ _ You increased the stakes. You forced me to do what I had to do.” _

“ _ And you call  _ me  _ the manipulator.”  _ The brother lifted his pet into his arms, stroking her head. Her eyes, white and blank, seemed not to notice the tender gesture as she hung limply in his arms, like a doll. “ _ Of course, blame me for everything. Makes it much easier for them to see me as the villain and you as – what? Advisor, savior? The only one they can trust?” _

“ _ I did and said what needed to be done, nothing more.” _

“ _ So much for the rules, then.” _

“ _ The rules were nullified by you long before I sidestepped them.”  _ To the brother's triumphant smile the sister shook her head. “ _ It no longer matters. They are coming for you. You had best prepare. I can only pray you realize your error before too late.” _ The sister vanished.

To the emptiness, the brother laughed. “ _ Trust me, my sister, I've prepared.” _ He turned down to look at the pet in his arms, her blank eyes swiveling up to meet his. “ _ Haven't I, Detective?” _ He touched the tip of her nose almost affectionately. “ _ Now why don't you go see them? It seems they miss you, despite your 'misdeeds'.” _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souji had some difficulty walking, his legs a little weak, but it was enough to get him from the hospital's front door to the car Ryotaro had called, with a little help from Yosuke and Rise. He had checked himself out against the doctor's recommendation, but he was not going to allow the team to split up because of him. He had recovered enough in the hour since Nanako had pulled him from his coma that he was sure he could handle the trip back to the house, and by morning he should be in fighting shape again. He hoped.

He was a little heartened by the fact that Nanako had recovered rather quickly, despite the obvious strain that rescue had put on her. She was different from him, he knew. She was special. He hated thinking this, hated having to drag her back into danger, but he was starting to realize that she might be the key to them winning the fight against Susano-O.

Once they were outside intensity of the thunder seemed to grow exponentially. The sky flashed all around them, and outside the covered alcove at the entrance the rain was falling in buckets. They also noticed that there were no lights on anywhere outside the hospital. The parking lot lamps and the buildings lining the houses to either side were dark. The officer who was driving them told Ryotaro and Chie that power was out across the city due to, the police had assumed, the frequent lightning.

“Think that's part of his plan?” Taro muttered. “Or just a side effect?”

“Perhaps both,” Margaret said. “It is impossible to tell until we meet him.”

The officer cast them a questioning glance but Ryotaro waved him off. “We're going back to my house.”

While Ryotaro gave the officer directions Kanji said, “Look I don't understand why we can't just go into the TV and find her now! I mean, that's where he's keeping her, right?”

“Amaterasu never said he was,” Yukiko said.

“Well that's where everything else's been centered around, right?” Kanji said. “Look, I can't just sit down and wait while she's in danger!”

“You love her, don't you?” Chie said.

“Of course I do!” Kanji said. After a pause. “Yeah, yeah, I do.” He turned away. “If it wasn't for those damn Memflies I wouldn'ta lost her in the first place.”

“You can't go running off 'cause you feel guilty,” Yosuke said. “It won't help her if you get lost, or killed.”

Kanji growled, but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. “Senpai, please,” Nanako said. “I know how much you're hurting right now, but you have to be calm. You guys saved my life before because you didn't just run in right after me. You took your time, planned, and you saved me. And I'm fine now. Naoto-senpai will be too, you just have to be patient.” She turned and leaned over until she was in Kanji's line of sight. “Okay?”

Kanji frowned and shook his head, but then let out a heavy sigh. “Fine.”

Rise and Yukiko helped Souji into the middle seat of the SUV, and Rise slid in beside him. “Yukiko-chan?” Rise said.

“I'll ride with Chie and the others,” Yukiko said. “You two – well...”

“Yukiko,” Souji said.

“Souji, there'll be time,” Yukiko said. “Once we save Naoto-kun and beat Susano-O, there'll be time. Unless you're planning to run off to America again.”

Souji opened his mouth, but then closed it again. “That's right,” Rise said, “you're on break from school, aren't you? You're going to have to go back eventually, huh?”

Souji arched his eyebrows and shrugged. “I guess so.”

“But not today!” Nanako climbed in the other door, taking her seat at Souji's other side. “Today Big Bro's back, and we're gonna go save Naoto-senpai as soon as he's ready, and then we're all gonna get together for a big 'Welcome Home' party for everyone. Right?” She looked from Souji to Rise to Yukiko. “Right, guys?”

“Wow, you sure got your strength back,” Souji said.

“I said, 'Right'?” Nanako said, glaring at him.

“Uh, right,” he replied.

“Right!” Rise said.

“Absolutely!” Yukiko said.

“You betcha!” Teddie said.

“Huh?” Chie said.

“Big party after we rescue Nao-chan!” Teddie said.

“Uh, yeah, of course!” Chie said.

“Wouldn't have it any other way!” Yosuke said.

Margaret turned to Taro. “A party, hmm? It sounds like fun.”

Taro gave a half-grin. “With this group, I can definitely say it'll be interesting.”

Kanji shook his head. “Where's your car, Chie-chan?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The officer drove the SUV much more quickly than most of its occupants would consider safe, and they quickly lost Chie's car in the storm. “At least Chie knows how to get to the house,” Souji commented, after Margaret made that observation.

“How you feeling?” Rise said, placing a hand at Souji's cheek.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head into it, which made her smile. Being without a body, even if only for a day, made him appreciate just how wonderful a simple tender touch could be. “A little better. My head's buzzing a little, like I've had a few too many beers.”

“You drink?” Nanako said.

“I'm a college student in America,” he said. “Of course I drink.” To Ryotaro's questioning look he added, “Sometimes.”

“What the hell?” The officer leaned on the horn.

“What?” Ryotaro said, turning to look out the windshield. “Who the hell is that?”

“Hold on!” The driver slammed on the brakes and the car ran into a skid, sliding on the rain-drenched road. The car started to fishtail and he turned the wheel to the right, straightening the car again. Nanako and Rise cried out and Souji threw his arms across both of them. As he did so he saw them pass someone standing in the middle of the road, straight and unmoving. The car was fishtailing one way and the other, and between that and the downpour he couldn't see them clearly.

The car finally spun out, skidding to a stop facing the opposite direction. “Is everyone all right?” Ryotaro said. “Nanako?”

Nanako, hyperventilating and squeezing Souji's hand, said, “I'm...I'm okay.”

“Yeah,” Souji said. He turned to Rise, who was almost crushing his other hand. “Rise?” Rise nodded furtively but said nothing. He turned to the back seat. “Taro-kun? Margaret?”

“We're okay,” Taro said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Margaret nodded, brushing errant strands of her hair from her face. “What happened?”

The officer drove the car to the side of the road, jumping the curb, and then parked it and jumped out. Ryotaro followed suit, saying, “Everyone stay here.”

They watched as the officer and Ryotaro ran back to the person standing in the road, whom they could barely see through the rain. Nanako stared at them for a moment, and then unlatched her seatbelt.

“What are you...” Souji started. She opened her door, slipped from his grip, and jumped out of the car, her footsteps making deep splashes in the road as she sprinted toward her father.

Souji unlatched his seatbelt and slid out the door.

“Senpai! Wait!”

“Souji-kun, hold on a sec!”

As soon as hit feet hit the pavement he remembered just how weakened he was. He tried to catch up with Nanako but failed, his pace slowing as he started panting heavily. “Little Sis!” he called out, but she acted as if she couldn't hear him. As far ahead as she was, and with the constant pounding of the rain on every surface, she may well not have.

“Senpai!” He felt a pair of hands grab his arm. He didn't have the energy to turn back to her. “What are you trying to do?”

“Trying to...get Little Sis,” he said, panting heavily.

“Come back to the car before you...wait, who's that?” After a moment Rise went from trying to stop him to ducking under his shoulder and supporting him. “Come on!” she said, and they hobbled along at a slightly faster pace.

Ryotaro and the officer were standing in front of the figure, who was starting to look familiar to Souji despite it facing away from him. Ryotaro looked up and shouted, “Nanako! I told you to wait in the car!”

Nanako sped up, skidded past him and then turned to face the person. As Souji and Rise neared them a car passed, narrowly missing them. It skidded to a quick stop and Yosuke jumped out. “What the hell are you guys doing?”

Souji ignored him as he and Rise slid around to Nanako. She was staring at the person, almost completely frozen, only blinking at the rain falling into her eyes. When Rise saw the face she gasped.

It was Naoto. Her face was almost white, but completely slack, as if she were being forced to watch something that was boring her nearly to death. Her eyes were half-closed, and her normally-gray irises even more bleached-white than her face.

“Naoto-kun?” Souji said.

“What part of 'wait in the car' didn't you guys understand?” Ryotaro barked. “Get back there before you get run over!”

Despite his exhortations, Yosuke was upon them in a second, Yukiko and Kanji close behind. Ryotaro shook his head. “Shirogane?” He snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Can you hear me, Detective?”

“Naoto!” Kanji cried. He shoved Ryotaro out of the way, bumping his sore shoulder but ignoring the spike of pain that sent through his chest. He grabbed Naoto's shoulders. “Nao-tan, can you hear me?” She apparently did not notice his presence, and in fact did not even blink, the rain water running down her brow, into her eyes, and out onto her cheeks. Her eyes didn't even show the irritation that must have come from having all their moisture washed away; they looked more like the eyes of a doll, except glassy white, and twitching in their sockets ever so slightly. “Nao-tan?”

“She's not in there,” Nanako said, shivering. “She's been...taken.” She turned to Chie, who had just approached and gasped when she saw. “Like Chie-senpai was. Lost.”

“Lost?” Kanji said. “So we can find her?”

Several of them turned to Taro who, unlike everyone else, had had the foresight to grab an umbrella before leaving the car. He looked at Margaret, huddling close to him under the umbrella's protection, and then back to Naoto. “I – I don't know. If this is Memflies, like with Chie-san, maybe. But I didn't bring her back all the way. That was the Shadow.”

“The Shadow,” Teddie said. “This is worse than that.” Chie shushed him, but he continued, “We need to get her inside. Now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanji carried Naoto into the house, not bothering to take off his saturated shoes as he walked her across the living room and laid her onto the couch. He slipped off her shoes and socks, tossing them into a pile in the kitchen, and covered her in a throw blanket. “There, how's that?”

She didn't answer, her blank eyes only staring into the distance past him. “You're gonna be okay, Nao-tan. We're gonna figure this out and make you better, all right? Just hang in there, okay?”

Chie and Yosuke had come in right behind him, and watched as he ran his hand along her cheek and through her hair, speaking to her all the while. Yosuke took Chie's hand, which was trembling. “So that's...what happened to me, isn't it?”

“Kinda, yeah,” Yosuke said.

Chie shook her head. “I was almost...I almost forgot. But I dunno. I mean, she looks worse than I remember feeling. I was all...scared, but weird at the same time. But I'm pretty sure I could see you guys. She just looks like she's completely spaced.”

“Her mind has been almost completely drained away,” Margaret said, walking past them and sitting on the floor at the sofa. She touched Naoto's forehead.

“What're you doing?” Kanji said.

“She feels...empty, as you said,” Margaret said. “A vessel waiting to be filled again.” Teddie joined her at Naoto's side, but said nothing. He only stared at Naoto's face, his blue eyes haunted.

“So we can get her back?” Kanji said.

“I would say so, though we must find her inner self before we can return it to her. Given the situation, I do not expect it will be easy.”

“Nothing lately's been easy,” Taro said. “You think – maybe she's deep in there somewhere, like Souji-kun was?”

“No, it's not the same with her,” Nanako said, gliding absently across the carpet. She was completely soaked from the rain, and was leaving wet footprints behind her. She'd had some time to reflect on it, and something felt wrong about Naoto's condition. This wasn't like before. This time, unlike with Chie or Souji, she couldn't sense any of the young woman's mind in there. An empty vessel, like Margaret said.  _ Waiting? Maybe...but waiting for what? _

“You okay?” She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see it belonged to her Big Bro.

She smiled slightly. “I oughta be asking you that, you know.”

“I'm a little winded, but I think I'm getting better. That looked like it took a lot out of you, though.”

“I just need a nap and I'll be fine. I'm more worried about her.”

“Yeah,” Souji said. He had mixed feelings. Of course he cared about Naoto, despite his frustration with her even before he knew she was trying...had tried and  _ failed _ ...to kill him. With that knowledge, the frustration and near-rage he'd felt within started to rise to the surface. Days ago he'd come within centimeters of pounding Yosuke's face in, and the anger that had brought that about hadn't really resolved itself. Yes, the situation had more or less been resolved, and they could laugh about it now, but it still stuck in the back of his mind. He was afraid that, sooner or later, he'd have to find some way to take it out. What he feared was that he would, consciously or subconsciously, take it out on Naoto. Despite the fact he knew she wasn't in control of her actions, at least as far as the thing claiming to be Amaterasu had said, he wondered if he could ever really forgive her. She'd been stalking him, playing him for days now, even before the day Amaterasu said Susano-O had started taking over her mind. Would she have hurt the others, in trying to hurt him? Would she have killed them?

Maybe this was her punishment for turning on her friends. Maybe it was karma.

“It's hard to believe she would try to hurt you.” He turned to his right and saw Yukiko standing there. “She, of all people. I don't care if she was angry with you. She always used to speak fondly of you, calling you her 'assistant'.” She chuckled. “She thought you were so smart.”

Souji forced a wry grin. “Had her fooled, didn't I?”

“Fooled us all.”

Souji looked down at the carpet. “Look, Yukiko...”

She held up a hand. “Not now. We can talk later, once this is all done with. Right now we're all wet, tired, and strung out.” She glanced to Rise, who stood by doing a poor job pretending not to be watching and listening to them. “All I can say to you right now is...” she looked between him and Rise, smiling demurely, “...good luck. To both of you.” She turned away, but then turned back. “Oh, Nanako-chan, would you mind if I used your room to change? I'm pretty sure I left my bag there from the other day, and I really could use a dry set.”

“Sure, Senpai,” Nanako said. “I think I left it in the corner by the closet.”

Yukiko smiled, nodded, and then walked past Rise. She paused for a moment, whispering something to Rise, who put a hand to her mouth and blushed immediately. “No way!”

Nanako gasped. She'd heard the words as plainly as if they'd been spoken directly to her. “Senpai! I can't believe you just said that!”

“Wait, what'd you say?” Souji said. He turned to Nanako. “What'd she say?”

As Yukiko tilted her head back proudly and headed up the stairs, Rise shook her head vehemently, her hands covering her mouth, and Nanako said, “I – can't tell you. Oh my God, that's so wrong! Why'd I have to hear that?”

Souji slapped his hand to his forehead. His ex-girlfriend, his Little Sis and his – what? New girlfriend, girlfriend-to-be? Whatever she was, it seemed they were all conspiring against him. He knew there was no way that would turn out well.  _ Boy, did I miss a lot in just one day. _ “Fine. I'm gonna go take a shower.” When Rise snorted with laughter and Nanako gasped again, he barked, “Oh, grow up you two!”

As he stomped past Taro, he saw the older man was about to say something. “Don't you start in too.”

Taro raised an eyebrow. “I was just going to ask how you're doing. You were in a coma no more than a couple hours ago, and now you're already up walking around. That doesn't happen very often, from what I've heard.”

Souji opened his mouth and then shut it. He licked his lips.  _ Real nice, jackass _ , he scolded himself. “Well, uh, different kind of coma, I guess.”

“By the way,” Taro said, lowering his voice to a whisper, “I'm not so good with reading lips, but I think Yukiko-san said the word 'ticklish' in there somewhere.”

Souji closed his eyes and sighed. “Can you just pretend you never heard that?”

“Humiliation's all part of love and growing up,” Taro said. “Might as well get used to it.”

“Great,” Souji said.

“It's worth it in the end, though. Look, you've been through a lot. You shouldn't sweat it right now. Might as well rest up a bit and get ready.”

Souji nodded, and then headed up the stairs toward his room before he had to suffer any more humiliation. His only saving grace was that Teddie hadn't heard what Yukiko said, or Souji probably wouldn't have heard the end of it. For a fleeting moment he wondered if he would have been better off in the coma.

Ryotaro approached Nanako and laid a hand on her shoulder. “How is she? Can you – can you tell?”

Nanako didn't look up at him. “She's...not so good.”

“How are  _ you _ ?”

She finally looked up. “Not as bad as you are.”

“Huh?”

She placed a hand on his, squeezing it. “You're really upset.”

“You can read that off me, huh?”

“You miss Mom so much, and you're mad that Amaterasu lied to you, but you're sad, too.”

He offered the best false smile he could muster, which wasn't much. “After all these years, I guess it was just too much to hope for. I wanted you to meet her. I wanted her to meet you. I knew she'd be proud of the person you are.”

Nanako smiled shyly and turned away. “I'm not too proud of me.”

“Well you should be.” He moved his hand on her head, ruffling her wet hair a little, and for the first time in the many times he'd done it, she let him continue without protest.

She knew he would always think of her as his little girl, something that was in the forefront of his mind at that moment, though she knew it was combined both with the sadness of knowing that it hadn't been his wife's spirit speaking with him, and the strong fear of what was to come. Fear for her, and fear for Souji. She felt guilty for putting him through this, for having browbeat him into letting her join the battle, but she knew of nothing else she could do. She had a job to do, and she couldn't have lived with herself if she'd failed to do it even if it was to preserve her father's peace of mind. “Thanks, Dad,” was all she could say.

“So,” Ryotaro said out loud, “any of you who want to stay tonight are welcome to. Chis...” He sighed. “ _ She _ said this house is safe, so it's probably still the best place to be for now.”

“Thank you,” Taro said. “I think it's best if we stay together until this is finally resolved. If Susano-O can pull any of us away without even – our allies, I guess – knowing where, we'd better not split up.”

“I'm stayin' wherever Naoto is,” Kanji said.

“And I'm gonna watch over her too,” Teddie said.

“As will I,” Margaret said.

“I'm staying,” Rise said, making a point of not saying it was for Naoto's sake.

“Me too,” Yukiko said, stepping down the stairs. She was dressed in a plain exercise outfit, and had her wet outfit hung over one arm.

“I think it's unanimous,” Chie said.

“Well, um, I'm supposed to be at work in the morning,” Yosuke said, scratching his head. Chie elbowed him and he yelped.

“Are you serious?” she said. “You're gonna put work over this?”

“If you go, Susano-O could come for you next!” Rise said. “Then you'll end up like...” she gestured to Naoto, and Kanji shot her a dirty look. “Well he might!”

“Calm down everyone,” Souji said. He tossed his pile of fresh clothes into the bathroom and went back to the living room. “Look, Yosuke, I know work seems important, but this is more important. Don't let everything you do revolve around your work. Trust me, it'll just consume you.”

“Kinda like you, Big Bro?” Nanako said.

Souji stood silent for a few seconds. He realized everyone was looking at him and, whether he was imagining it or not, he felt like that was their consensus about him. Or, maybe it was just his own guilt talking. “Well, um, that – was the point I was making, I guess.”

“Oh, sorry,” Nanako said, looking away.  _ Open mouth, insert foot, _ she thought.  _ Once again. _

Souji shook his head. “No worries.” She knew it wasn't true, and that she'd actually annoyed him, but she chose to just smile and nod. “Anyway,” he continued, turning back to Yosuke, “yeah. Don't push your friends away.” He looked at Chie. “You'll end up figuring out they matter more than all the money in the world, but by then it might be too late.”

“Now  _ that  _ sounds like something smart,” Chie said. “Just what I'd expect from our leader.”

“Great, now I got two of you ganging up on me,” Yosuke said. He sighed loudly. “Fine, I'll come up with some excuse.”

“Hey, you're better off safe and in a little trouble,” Souji said. He felt a hand grasp his, and looked over to see that it belonged to Rise. She was smiling at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.

“All right,” Chie said, “well, I guess now we figure out what's next!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had no idea where to start with their plans for rescuing Naoto and finding Susano-O, so they worked out the sleeping arrangements first. The women set themselves up in Nanako's room as before, and the men in Souji's. The only exceptions were Chie and Yosuke, who again elected to sleep together in the living room, Naoto, who remained on the sofa, and Kanji, who stayed at her side. Souji had offered up his futon for her, but Kanji had insisted she not be moved despite the fact she had no discernible physical injuries.

He did, however, request some fresh clothes for her, as hers were completely soaked. As it turned out, Nanako and Naoto wore roughly the same size, so she loaned Kanji a T-shirt, sweatpants, and some underwear. The others had cleared out of the downstairs to allow them some privacy, only Teddie making a snide remark that was quickly silenced when Yosuke clamped a hand over his mouth. But despite everyone having crowded upstairs, with their dissonant thoughts ranging from worry to anxiety invading her mind, Nanako could still sense the tenderness Kanji felt for her as he slipped off her old clothes, his eyes never lingering on any part of her except for her face. He put her new clothes on quickly but gently, covering her with a different throw blanket when all was done.

Nightfall had brought darkness, and with the power still out their only source of illumination was some old candles. And thus they had met around the living room table in the candlelight, sharing some cold leftovers from the fridge and discussing their options. They'd come up with nothing better than exploring the Shadow World the next day, at least to see if Naoto's mind was hidden there. Chie was the first to point out that it was most likely a trap set by Susano-O, but they'd all agreed that, trap or not, rescuing Naoto had to be their top priority. They would just have to be careful, and once she was safe they could deal with Susano-O. If they were very fortunate, once they recovered Naoto's mind she'd have some information on where and how to do so.

And so they had split up and turned in for the night, nobody feeling very optimistic about what was to come. Souji and the guys laid in their beds chatting for a little while, but the small talk died off as Taro and Teddie each fell asleep, leaving only Souji awake. He was exhausted, but his mind was racing. Every time he closed his eyes he felt a dozen thoughts and worries beat their way through him. As he listened to the rain falling outside and the breathing of his friends inside, he grew more and more desperate to sleep. In the frequent lightning flashes he watched the clock on the wall tick toward, and then past, midnight, in hopes it would lull him into a rhythm. It failed.

Finally giving up, he rolled out of bed, stepped gently around the slumbering lumps on the floor, and left his room quietly. The downstairs was dark except for the lightning and a single candle still burning on the living room table. He saw Kanji on the floor by the sofa, his head down and hand lying upon Naoto's. He slunk past the Chie and Yosuke's shared bedroll to the sliding glass doors and looked outside. He could see the light flashing off the ground in the backyard, and realized the grass had become saturated into a veritable marshland. The work of Susano-O, they'd told him. He wondered how long it would be until the house flooded out. The house, the neighborhood, the whole town. Would the storm stop once they defeated him? He supposed there was no choice but to hope that it would.

“Can't sleep?”

He turned around to see Kanji, eyes glinting in the candlelight, looking up at him. He walked over and sat down. “Not really. I guess my body wants to catch up on being awake.”

Kanji smirked. “Yeah.”

Souji looked over. “How's she doing?” Kanji shook his head and shrugged. “How  _ you _ doing?” Kanji again shook his head and shrugged. “Could be worse, I guess. Your uncle nearly ripped my damn arm off, though.”

Souji nodded. “Yeah, I heard.”

“Not too bad now that I'm not moving it a lot, though,” Kanji said. He shrugged with his right shoulder. “Other than that, I feel kinda like I've been sleeping the past few years, you know?”

“They told me. About the Memflies, I mean.”

“Oh,” Kanji said. He sighed. “Look, Senpai...”

“Souji,” Souji corrected. “I haven't been your senpai in a while.”

Kanji smiled a little. “Souji. Look, I, uh, owe you an apology, I think.”

Souji shook his head. “No you don't. It wasn't your fault.”

“Doesn't matter. I treated you like crap.”

“A lot of people did recently,” Souji said. “You were just fitting in.” Kanji laughed out loud, and then quickly silenced himself. Yosuke and Chie stirred, but remained asleep. Souji leaned closer. “Want a beer?”

Kanji tilted his head back. “You drink?”

Souji shrugged. “Once in a while. Right now I could use one.” He stood and padded toward the kitchen. He opened the fridge, the candles providing just enough light for him to see inside. He pulled out two bottles that didn't feel as cold as he would have liked. It wouldn't be long before whatever the food was left in the fridge spoiled and added a nice little aroma to the house. He hoped the power came back on soon; electricity was one of those things you didn't realize how much you needed until it was gone. He slipped back to Kanji, handed him one of the bottles, and sat down.

Souji twisted the cap off, the edges cutting into his palm. It hurt a little, but the pain made it feel like some of his strength was returning. “Damn, dude,” Kanji said. “I usually just use a bottle opener.”

Souji shrugged. “I probably should.” He handed Kanji the beer and took the capped one, twisting that one open as well.

Kanji took a swig. “You know, I think back to how it was back then. Going into the TV after school, fighting Shadows, all that crap. And, I just keep thinking, looking back, we were so dumb. Doing all that stuff – we shoulda been killed.”

“Maybe, but it all worked out,” Souji said.

“By a whole shitload of luck,” Kanji said. “This time, I dunno, it seems like luck's kinda run out.”

“Hey, look, she'll be okay,” Souji said. He looked over at Naoto, eyes open and staring at the ceiling, completely still except for the rising and falling of her chest. “We rescued Chie, and we'll rescue her.”

“You guys had to face your Shadow for that,” Kanji said. “Who'll we have to fight to rescue Naoto?”

Souji swallowed his mouthful of beer. It had a slightly sour taste to it, but at least it was cold enough. “Hopefully it'll be easier than that.”

“Uh uh,” Kanji said, setting his beer down. “Nope, I ain't goin' with hope. You said these Memfly things were gone, but now they're affecting her, right? So in the morning we're goin' back to the Shadow World, we're gonna get all her Memflies, and we're gonna bring her back. Got it?”

Souji nodded. “Got it.”

Kanji picked his beer up. “Good,” he said, and took another mouthful. After he'd swallowed it he said, “So, you and Rise-chan, huh?”

Souji shook his head. “Why's everyone trying to get in the middle of that?”

“I'm just sayin', she's always had the hots for you. We all knew it. But I'd always thought, you know, you and Yukiko...”

“Nope,” Souji said. “We broke up a couple years ago. I guess I've kind of been in denial about it, but it's a fact.” He sighed. “Time to move on with my life, I suppose.”

“And Rise-chan?”

Souji tilted his head. “And Rise-chan what?”

“Nothin',” Kanji said. “You gotta do what you gotta do to be happy. From the way she always talked, she'd be happy with you. I just hope that having's as good as wanting.”

“Hm,” Souji said, taking another drink from his bottle. “I guess...” He paused for a moment. He remembered the other day. Rise showing up, prepared with ingredients and a cookbook. Him teaching her the fine art of “not-putting-too-many-spices-in-the-stroganoff-sauce”. The kiss they'd shared the afternoon before. Before things had gone insane.

He wanted to hold her again. Somehow he felt that would make everything better. He found himself smiling a little. “We'll see, I guess.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 16, 2018

Nanako lay awake in her bed, listening to the breathing of the others camped out on her floor. Their breathing, and their dreams. She'd managed to get to sleep, but her own dreams were such a discordant mishmash that they'd forced her awake. Only when she'd awoken, and could feel the thoughts of the others, did she realize that they were the others' dreams, all encroaching upon her own. She could turn those thoughts off when she was awake, but once she got to sleep it seemed like they all became part of hers whether she wanted them or not. She wasn't sure why it was like this now, when she'd had no problem sleeping the other night with everyone in the house.

Not that she really wanted to sleep anyway. She longed for a little peace of mind, but the only way she could get that was by finding the answer to one question: Why?  _ Why couldn't I just be happy? Why couldn't I just let her be my mom for a little bit? Why'd I have to be so pissed at her? _ She didn't understand. Why did she have this “gift”? Why was it so different from all the others'?  _ What's so special about me, anyway? _

“Your mother would say 'everything'.”

Nanako sat bolt upright and opened her eyes. Standing at the foot of the bed was Amaterasu, glowing much more faintly than she did at the hospital. “What? How...what do you want?” she whispered.

“Don't worry, they can't hear you,” Amaterasu said, gesturing to the sleeping figures of Yukiko, Rise, and Margaret on the floor. “Or me.”

“What do you want?” Nanako asked again.

“To talk to you.”

“What for? You gonna tell me some more vague stuff, then disappear like before?”

Amaterasu smiled. “I promise not to disappear until it's time.”

“Time for what?”

“To disappear, of course.”

Nanako rolled her eyes, and was about to make a snide remark when there was a particularly bright flash of lightning outside, accompanied by simultaneous thunder. She jumped out of bed toward the window and gasped when she saw the tree across the street split in two, flames from the lightning strike dying quickly under the heavy rain. “So – your brother's doing this, huh?”

“Yes.”

She turned back to Amaterasu. “And he did that to Naoto-senpai, didn't he? Emptied her head?”

Amaterasu nodded.

“Why? And don't tell me it's self-preservation. That's just cruel! All this stuff he's doing. What gives him the right?”

“He believes it does, and that is all the motivation he needs.” She sat on the bed, and motioned for Nanako to follow. She did not, and Amaterasu sighed. “I'm sorry for deceiving you, posing as your mother,” she said. “I'm sorry to both you and your father. You are both good people, and it was not my intention to hurt you.”

Nanako opened her mouth, ready to let loose a razor-sharp barb at the goddess, but something about how she was sitting, how Amaterasu was looking at her, shut her mouth. It reminded her of something, though she couldn't think of exactly what. With a sigh, she sat down on the bed. It was pleasantly warm underneath her.

“I did hurt you both, and for that I beg your forgiveness. I know how much you've longed to see your mother's face, hear her voice. I was attempting to be kind.”

“And you thought Dad would trust you more if he thought you were Mom,” Nanako said. “Me too.”

“Not for my own ends,” Amaterasu said. “For your own safety. And Souji's.”

“Yeah,” Nanako said. “But you didn't even want me to find you, did you? Something about how I wouldn't be able to make the choices I needed to make? I think that was what you said. Was there something to that, or was it just an excuse?”

“I didn't believe the time was right for you to see me.”

Nanako shook her head. “Listen, why you even talking to me? Didn't I make it clear I don't wanna talk to you?”

“Because I'm hoping you'll watch out for him,” Amaterasu said. “Your 'Big Bro'.”

Nanako nodded slowly. “I figured. He's the key to stopping Susano-O, isn't he?”

“His role will be unmatched, yes. You need to ensure he gets there safely.”

“I'm not powerful like he is. He can handle himself just fine. Sometimes I think I just get in the way. Like – maybe I really  _ am _ just a kid trying to fight like the grown-ups.”

“Why do you say that? Did you not defeat his Shadow and return his soul to his body?”

Nanako laughed. “Yeah, after Margaret almost beat it to death.”

“Don't downplay your importance,” Amaterasu said. “You have abilities the others do not. Not even Souji.”

“Yeah, I can hear their thoughts. Big deal. I couldn't even see what was in Naoto-senpai's head when she was trying to kill him.”

“You cannot blame yourself. My brother is very powerful. And I know you cannot read  _ my _ mind, correct? You have nothing of which to be ashamed. In fact, you should be proud of yourself, as your father says.” Nanako expected her to prattle off her accomplishments in school, her personality, or any other mundane platitude that, she realized, a mother would say. Instead, though, Amaterasu continued, “You fought Loki out of your mind, before you had any powers.”

“Wait, what?” Nanako stood. “What're you talking about 'fought him off'? I was so pissed all the time, and I hated Big Bro! I tried to kill him! Just like...just like Naoto-senpai did...” her voice dropped as she sat back down on the bed, leaning her head on her hands. For the first time since her rescue, it truly struck home. “ _ I _ tried...to kill him...”

“Exactly,” Amaterasu said. “That was not Loki's goal, not what he wanted you to do. He merely tried to make you forget, but you resisted. You resisted so hard that it made you furious. That fury brought forth your Shadow as a shield to protect your inner mind. That fury then projected onto Souji, the one whom you were most intended to forget. Even the drugs you stole from your father could not weaken your willpower enough for Loki to take you over.”

“I...forgot about that,” Nanako said.

“You did what few could have done,” Amaterasu continued. “When your Shadow emerged fully, it took his influence with it, and then ejected him fully and permanently from you.”

Nanako opened her mouth to speak, but then shook her head and shut it. She tried again to speak, but couldn't find any words.

“Your role is far greater than you believe. You will find this in the time to come.”

“No,” Nanako said, shaking her head. “No, no. Look, this isn't a game. Why don't you just tell me where we can find your brother, beat him, and get Naoto-senpai's mind back?”

“Because I do not know,” Amaterasu said. “We gods are powerful, but not all-knowing. Especially not when we intentionally hide things from each other.”

Nanako sighed. “So is there anything else you can't tell me?”

“I can tell you not to bring your father into the Shadow World,” Amaterasu said. “I protected him when he followed you there before. I kept his Shadow suppressed. But if you go there again....”

“So that's where Susano-O is?” Nanako said. “The Shadow World?”

“I know it is the first place you plan to go. If you go there again, and he follows, I will not be able to protect him again.”

“Why not?”

“I am no longer welcome in his heart.”

“Yeah, well,” Nanako said, “lying does that.”

“Perhaps.” Amaterasu stood. “And I know I am not welcome in yours, so I will leave you. But please remember what I've said, and watch over him. You, of all, I believe can be trusted with it.”

“Wait,” Nanako said. “Why me? Why are you coming to  _ me _ ? Why not Big Bro?”

Amaterasu smiled. “Good night, my little child of the greens. Be well.” And then she was gone.

Nanako opened her eyes onto a dark room, and realized she'd been in bed, asleep, that whole time.  _ Was that a dream? _ It felt real enough.

The thunder crashed outside, and she sat up. The clock on her vanity said it was almost three in the morning.

She heard a snore from the floor and saw Margaret stir. Rise stirred in kind, but remained silent. Yukiko, her head buried underneath her pillow, had apparently not heard it. Nanako wondered if that was that how she always slept, or if it was it to keep out the thunder. Or maybe to keep out Margaret's snoring? She chuckled a little and closed her eyes. She could feel everyone in the house. Some were in a deep sleep, while others dreamed. Margaret was dreaming of a young woman, the same platinum blond hair and yellow eyes as she had, in a sleeveless blue outfit and matching pillbox hat. “Elizabeth” was the name that came to her head, though she wasn't sure why.

Chie was dreaming she was fleeing something on foot, but the ground underneath her was rolling backward faster than she could run, and she kept tripping over her loose shoelaces. Yosuke was dreaming about Junes, but it felt larger and more foreboding than the one she knew. He kept trying to sort the shelves in an area, but every time he looked at them they became more and more disheveled.

And then she realized Souji and Kanji were awake. They were talking. She felt a wistfulness from them both, and Kanji's sadness and worry over Naoto. Naoto, for that matter, felt as if nothing were there, except that “nothing” was tangible and could be held in one's hand. Even with Chie, when her mind had been taken, there was a hint of the woman she was. Her fear, her loss of self, something to indicate there was someone there. With Naoto, it was as if she were just completely gone. Not dead; it didn't feel like that. Just  _ gone _ .

Kanji was frightened for her, and he was right to be. Nanako didn't know what was going to happen to her, nor if they had any hope of rescuing her as they had Chie. She refused to let herself sink into despair, though.  _ I have to be strong for them all. They were all strong for me when I was dying in the hospital. It's time for me to return the favor. _

She laid back down and closed her eyes. She stretched out with her thoughts as far as she could, hoping some clue, any clue, would present itself.  _ I gotta try. For everyone, I gotta try. _

She had a difficult time pulling her attention away from Naoto, though. The more she probed what there was of the detective, the more she seemed like some kind of sinkhole, everything sliding inward to fill some hungry, insatiable metaphysical void.

A face flashed over Naoto's empty form: dark-skinned, with a mane of flowing black hair. It was glaring out with haughty, malicious intent.

_ Keep your third eye to yourself, little “child of the greens”. _

She gasped and tumbled out of the bed. “What the hell?”

There was more stirring from the floor. Nanako rolled over and stood. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes again, trying to focus on Naoto. Instead, she found what seemed like a black shroud draped over everything. Naoto, Souji, everyone and everything. Something was blocking her. She opened her eyes and stumbled toward the door, almost tripping over Rise in the process. She reached for the door but immediately all her muscles contracted, locking her in place. She tried to open her mouth and cry out, but could make no sound louder than a panicked exhalation.  _ What? _

_ You will be all right. _ It sounded like the same voice, but was smoother this time, almost sympathetic.  _ Just sit tight, and it will be over in a few minutes. _

_ No...  _ Nanako thought. Her muscles were cramping, and the harder she tried to force herself to move, the harder they clamped down.  _ What's happening to me? _

There were no answers this time. Only silence through the veil pulled over her senses.  _ Someone help me! _ she tried to shout, but she couldn't make her voice work.

Fear gripped her. Someone was trying to stop her. Something was about to happen, and someone didn't want her doing anything about it. Someone with the power to take over her entire body.

_ Help me, Big Bro. Please! _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So that's about it,” Kanji said. “What they told me, anyway.”

Souji nodded. “It makes sense. I – my Shadow – didn't really connect with Loki, but I did get a feel for what he'd done and what his plans were. He never intended to be a big part of this. He was in it more out of boredom than anything else, helping the brother – Susano-O, I guess – because he thought it would be fun. You guys must've spoiled the party for him.”

Kanji shook his head. “I just can't believe those bug things'd be enough to make me forget about everyone. Forget about  _ her _ .” He squeezed Naoto's cold hand. “It's kinda crazy, ya know? Rise-chan gets her memories back when she thinks about you. Yukiko-chan gets hers when she thinks about Chie-chan, and Namatame when he thinks about Yamano-san. Why didn't Naoto being with me make me remember?”

“After Yukiko got her memories back, Loki turned up the intensity. Kind of like turning up the dimmer on a light, maybe. Blinding your memories more, so it'd be harder to get them back. I mean, what he did to Chie was a pretty good example of that.”

“And that's what he did to Naoto,” Kanji said. He shook his head. “I just can't believe she did the things that god thing said she did.”

“She was – under some kind of influence,” Souji said. “It wasn't her.” He omitted that his own trust of her had been shaken as far back as Monday morning, after she'd goaded him on and then disappeared. It made him wonder just how long she'd been under Susano-O's influence, and if she'd known back then that she was going to kill him.

“She really liked you, ya know. Thought you were real smart.” Souji arched his eyebrows as Kanji gave a small smile. “There was a while there I thought she had it for you.”

Souji opened his eyes wide. “No, no – no...” he said. “I helped her with a – case, and it was, you know, how we got to be friends. But that was it. We were never...I never...”

“Hey, relax,” Kanji said, “I said I  _ thought _ it.” He took a sip from his bottle. “Me and her had some good times. She helped me through a lot. And then after what I did, you know, forgetting her and everything, I can't believe she still wanted anything to do with me.”

“You're special to her,” Souji said. “Trust me on that. One point, when, um, she thought I forgot about helping you get your memories back, she blew up. I mean, she  _ really _ let me have it. I've  _ never  _ heard her yell like that.” It was not a pleasant memory for him, but the look of pleasant surprise on Kanji's face took away some of the sting.

“Huh, really?” Kanji said. He looked back at her. “Once we get her back, maybe we'll have another chance, then. I've already lost just about everything. Don't wanna lose her too.”

“She'll be back,” Souji said, reaching over and patting his good shoulder. “Once everyone's fresh we'll figure something...”

Naoto's head jerked to the side. Souji and Kanji both jumped, but then Kanji was immediately hovering over her. “Nao-tan?” Her head started rolling to one side and then the other. Her lips twitched, as if she were preparing to speak but couldn't find the words. “Hey, can you hear me?” He started to bring his hand to her cheek but realized it was still holding his beer bottle. Souji took it, and he tried to take her head in his hands. “Nao-tan, you in there? C'mon, say something.”

Sounds started coming from her twitching lips. It was barely audible and they couldn't tell if these were actual words or some kind of delirium. Whatever it was, it sounded like she was repeating it over and over again.

“What're you sayin'?” Kanji said, leaning forward so his ear was over where her mouth was in the middle of her head's oscillation. He glanced to Souji. “What's she sayin'?”

“I don't know,” Souji said, staring at her, still holding a beer bottle in each hand.

“Think Nanako-chan would?” Kanji asked.

“Good idea.” Souji stood, but his leg was immediately in a grasp as strong as steel. He looked back down at her and saw she had stopped shaking her head, her blank eyes now trained on him. “Find him, and you'll find me,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Find me, and you'll find him.”

“Find him?” Kanji said. He gripped her shoulders. “You mean that Susano-O guy, right?”

“Find him,” Naoto said, swiveling her eyes to meet his. “And you'll find me.”

“Where?” Kanji shook her shoulders. “Where is he?”

“Find me...”

“Hey, keep it down, will ya?” Chie said, lifting her head from the pillow. “Tryin' to sleep over here.”

“...and you'll find him.”

“Hey wait, is that Naoto-kun's voice?” Chie threw the blanket off and flung herself toward the sofa, tripping over one of Yosuke's legs in the process. He murmured and curled into a fetal position, but stayed asleep.

“She keeps saying the same thing over and over again,” Souji said, trying to liberate his leg from her grip. He set the beers down on the shelf behind the sofa and then tried to twist his leg, but her arm went with it, always staying at an angle that made it difficult to break her grip. It was as if, despite her disconnection, she was fully aware of his attempts to escape and would have none of it.

“Nao-tan, c'mon,” Kanji said. He tried to tilt her head so she would be looking at him, but her neck seemed as rigid as a tree trunk. “Just tell us where he is, and we'll go get you back. We'll go right now.”

“Find him, and you'll find me,” was all she said in reply.

“Chie,” Souji said, “go get Nanako. Maybe she can get through to...”

Naoto let out a screech and, in a feat of strength far greater than she'd ever expressed, flung both Souji and Kanji away from herself, Kanji crashing into Chie and knocking her to the floor. Souji tripped over Yosuke and fell onto Chie's spot on the bedroll.

Yosuke snorted and opened his eyes. “Huh? What the...?”

Souji ignored him and turned back to Naoto. She was on her feet with the blanket half-draped over her shoulders like a cape. She turned and started walking blankly, almost robotically, to the sliding door. Kanji and Souji were both upon her in a second and grabbing for her arms, but at that instant a bolt of lightning flashed outside, and the two men were thrown off her as if the bolt had struck them. Chie ran around the table and tried blocking her way, but Naoto waved a hand and some invisible force struck Chie's legs, sweeping her feet out from underneath her. Naoto stepped over her, threw the door open, and stepped outside.

“Nao-tan!” Kanji cried, jumping after her.

At that same moment there was a scream from upstairs and a heavy thump.

“W-wha...?” Yosuke said. “What the hell's going on?”

“Big Bro, you've gotta stop her!” called Nanako's voice from upstairs. “He's calling her back to him!”

“Find me and you'll find him,” Naoto said again, shouting this time. Her bare feet dragged on the wet wooden deck as she continued on to the edge, the blanket catching on the door jamb and slipping off her shoulders. She turned back to them, taking half steps backward until she was standing with only her toes on the deck, and her heels hanging off the edge. She bounced on the balls of her feet a couple times, like a diver preparing for her big jump. “Find me!” She stepped backward off the deck and vanished.

“No!” Kanji cried, jumping over Chie and running onto the deck.

“Kanji, wait!” Souji cried, but it was too late. Kanji dove off the deck after Naoto and disappeared. Souji rushed out the door onto the deck, stopping at the edge. He could see a massive water puddle below, but the image he saw in it was not his own reflection. It was Kanji's back, as the man was running away from him. No, he was running  _ toward _ another figure, further away, whom he knew right away was Naoto. They were together in some kind of cave, or maybe it was a corridor rough-hewn from stone.

“Kanji!” he shouted. He couldn't tell if Kanji spoke back to him, so loud was the rain and the almost incessant thunder, but Kanji did not stop running. Souji reached down to touch the puddle but was yanked backward almost immediately.

“No, don't!” It was Chie. “We don't know where that goes!”

“What the hell's going on here?” Yosuke said, standing at the door. Suddenly, Nanako shoved him to the side and ran outside toward the edge of the deck. Souji and Chie both grabbed her to keep her from plunging headlong into what was apparently some kind of portal to the Shadow World. Or, at least Souji assumed it was the Shadow World.

“No, no no!” Nanako shouted. “It's a trap! He sent her back to draw us in, and now he's got Kanji-senpai!” She shook out of Souji and Chie's grip. “He's trying to split us up! We gotta go after them!”

Souji turned back to the portal. Kanji was gone, and all that was left was the image of the cave on the other side. “She's right,” Chie said. “We have to hurry.”

“God dammit!” He smacked his fist into deck. He took a few seconds to compose himself, and then looked back up at Chie. “Yeah, let's get everyone up. I think we're out of time.”


	21. God Of Storms

There was no screaming. She had no voice.

There were no tears. She had none left.

There was no pain. All she had left was numbness.

No body. No world. No life. It was all taken.

_ No, I gave it up. I trusted and I let him in and he made me and I gave it up. _

It felt like years. Maybe it had  _ been _ years. She had fought him and she had fought him and she had fought him and he had defeated her.

Only one name. Only one name in her mind had any meaning. The name of the one who did this to her. The one threatening all of humanity.

Souji Seta.

She didn't know how she could have doubted it. All this time, he was the one...

_ No...that – that can't be right...it's not Souji... But if not him, then whom? _

She had told herself that she must remember. Through the incessant pain and the repeated violations of her most sacred self, she had told herself that she had to remember, had to remember...

It was maddening, this existence between life and death. She had nothing to hold her together, and all it would take was a simple breeze to scatter her across whatever realm of creation this was. It was as if everything that had ever made her human was a long-lost dream, yet one that had not faded when she awoke.

And still there was something, like a thread connecting her to her body, and she could feel it still being abused. A set of hands, the same as before. No, two...touching, probing her, pulling her nerves and her tendons like the strings of a puppet, making it do and say things...

Another set of hands. Gentle, warm...loving. A face flashed before her.  _ Kanji. _ He was with her body. She didn't know what, but it felt right. Calming. She tried to cry out to him, to beg him to help her, but it was no use. Whatever linked her and her body, it only worked one way. She could only take some comfort from his care.

But he had rejected her, hadn't he? Saw through her attempts to draw him closer to her without restoring his memories of having broken up with her, and yet it had all come crashing down thanks to that Shadow. Souji's Shadow. It restored his memories, and it didn't take long for him to remember everything.

Was it Kanji? Was he the one who betrayed her?  _ No, no...that doesn't make any sense. But then who...? _

Two voices. Both in her body, but neither hers. One she recognized immediately: its owner had brought her here, tormented her until she literally fell apart. The other was – similar, except it was kindly, and yet still tugging at her like the first. The new one had snatched the strings from the other, and even his kind words to her as he did so did not put her at anything resembling ease. She wanted to hear Kanji's voice again, feel his touch, even at this distance.

She wanted her body back. Desperately. She would do anything to get it back.

“If that is what you wish, my pet, then that is what you shall have.” It was that voice, the one who had tried to make her call him her master. She may well have done so in a moment of weakness. This was the one who has caused her so much pain. “It seems our plans have been accelerated a little. Are you ready?”

“Let me go,” Naoto said. “Please.”

“But I am not holding you, don't you remember? It is them, the ones whose actions sent you here. Even now, the way they make you feel, does it not remind you what they did to you?”

Naoto tried to bring their faces to her mind. When she did so, there was a quiver throughout her being that threatened to tear apart what little there was left of her. “I – they make me feel...lost...”

“Because it is they who are responsible for your condition now. Them, not me.”

She wanted to dispute it, but she could not. His words, as untrustworthy as he was, made sense.

“I can feel your agreement,” the man said. “I will help free you from this prison, but first you must pledge to me that you will do whatever you must, whatever I tell you to do.”

This didn't feel right. “No, I won't...”

Her world exploded into pain. It was all too familiar,and if it continued it would tear her completely apart. And then images flashed before her. Violent, dark images. A funeral. A body rising from the casket and murdering those attending. She had seen this before, hadn't she?

Through it all she saw images of him –  _ Souji _ . The pain increased tenfold when she saw him. And the other, the dark one – the pain went away almost completely when he appeared. Interspersed with time images of death were these two, the pain rising and falling unpredictably. She tried to hold on to something, anything, but it all slipped away from her, only causing her pain to increase. She couldn't even think anymore, except about the pain.

It continued for what seemed like for ever until, suddenly, it stopped.

“Now,” the voice said, “do you know what I command of you?”

“Yes,” Naoto said.

“Will you call me 'Master'?”

If she could have, Naoto would have sobbed. “Yes.”

“Then tell me what you must do.”

“I must – I must stop  _ him _ .”

The man's face appeared before her, smiling, almost fatherly. It frightened her. “I knew I could count on you to do the right thing, Detective. Go then,” he said, waving his hand, and she felt something tug at every speck of her dissociated self, dragging her into the darkness like water down a drain. With nothing to hold on to, not even a presence to preserve, she could only let it take her away to wherever her “master” wished.

“Take your body back,” she heard his voice in the seconds before she was gone. “Use it. Put a stop to them. To  _ him _ . Kill him. Do it for me, and for the sake of your world.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanji opened his eyes, and immediately felt a stab of pain in his sinuses. He grunted and rubbed his face. He remembered running in after Naoto, but not what happened afterward. She was in front of him, running away, ignoring his calls for her to stop.

And then she was gone, like she'd never been there. He'd been swarmed by some kind of dark shapes, squealing and groaning, snapping at him with some kind of claws, but before they'd struck him he'd simply blacked out. And now he was here, wherever here was.

All he could hear was voices whispering to him. They were sad, yet frightened. He was picking up some kind of feelings from the air. They were torn from their bodies, which kept on living, forcing them into a perpetual state of dying. None seemed to know how it happened, but they described it to him when asked, talking about darkness, and coffins standing in the streets, and oozing blobs of blackness that seemed to devour them whole, leaving them cold and alone. They seemed not to perceive each other, and the more he listened, the more it seemed as if they were in some kind of eternal punishment.

He didn't want to be here with them. The longer he stayed, the more he felt that he would be swallowed up by them.

_ Evil – there is evil... _

_ It is coming for us... _

_ It is coming for you... _

_ You must defeat it... _

The more he listened to it, the more it started to make sense. Yes, evil. It was coming. A face – the evil had a face. Young, but with gray hair.

_ Wait, isn't that...? _

The voices were all unified, as if chanting together, a thousand whispers.  _ It is evil. It is what sent you to this place. Only by defeating it can you save yourself. Only by defeating it can you save Naoto. _

“Naoto?” he said, jumping to his feet. “What about her?”

_ They are coming after her, and will murder her unless you do something. _

“Who? Who's coming after her?”

_ The evil ones.  _ More images appeared before him. Yukiko, Chie, Yosuke, Rise...everyone.

“What the hell're you...?” He stopped when he felt another stabbing pain in his head. He collapsed to the floor and screamed.

As suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped. He opened his eyes. The shadowy figures were gone, but he still felt them, somehow. He felt different. Disconnected, like he wasn't fully in control.

_ You must do something to stop them from murdering your love. _

“Do something. Fight them, you mean?”

_ Whatever you must. _

“Whatever...I must?” Somehow it made sense. “Yeah...yeah, I've gotta, don't I? And once I do it I can be with her, right?” There was no answer. “Right?”

_ You will be with her. _

There was laughter, loud and wild, and then his world went dark once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dammit, I didn't think we were gonna have to fight this soon!” Yosuke said, hopping on one foot as he tugged up on his sock. “I don't even have my knives!”

“In the car,” Chie said, zipping up her boot and tucking her gun inside. “I kinda thought this'd happen.”

“Chie-chan's always prepared!” Teddie said, zipping the head onto his costume.

“Physical weapons didn't do any good before,” Taro said. “What makes you think they will be now.”

“Better to have them and not need them,” Margaret said. “We should all arm ourselves. If I cannot open the Compendium, I'll have no access to Personas.”

“I can share,” Taro said, pulling a few cards from his pocket. “I'll probably be fine with just Kunino-sagiri.” He took Margaret hand and placed the cards in it. He lingered holding her hand for a moment, and then closed her fingers over the cards. “I mean, they'll work like that, won't they?”

Margaret looked down at their hands, and then back up to his face. She smiled. “They might.”

Souji hadn't paid any attention to the conversations, or any of the attempts at planning. Ever since Naoto and Kanji had vanished he'd been playing over those few minutes in his head over and over again. She'd been right there in front of him. Right there. If he hadn't been so damn tired, if he'd just used his head...

“Dammit,” he muttered, running his hands through the rainwater still plastering his hair to his forehead. He was rolling back over everything the others had told him trying to find some hint of this that he should have seen. Something to connect the dots, to clue him in that Naoto would suddenly appear and then run off and to where. Something he might have heard while he was still on the other side.

“Okay, we're ready,” Rise said as she and Yukiko descended the stairs.

“We should probably go in soon,” Yukiko said. “I heard you guys talking about weapons. Who still needs one? We can probably improvise something.”

“Souji, I found your sword,” Ryotaro said. “God, I still cant believe a teenager was running around with something like this. I could probably shave with it.”

“If you wanted to cut your ear off, maybe,” Yosuke said. “You shoulda seen him with that thing!”

“Probably best that I didn't,” Ryotaro said. He tucked the blade under his arm and held out the hilt to Souji. “Here.”

Souji looked up at the sword. It looked much the same as he remembered. The leather straps wrapped around the hilt were slightly worn and wrinkled from his sweat, and the blade was silver, completely clean and untarnished. His uncle had stored it well, as if he'd known it would be needed again.

He shook his head. “No, I don't need it.”

“You need to be prepared,” Ryotaro said.

“I'm not going.”

“Wait, what?” Nanako, who had been staring out the glass doors, turned to him.

“What do you mean you're not going?” Chie said. “Of course you are!”

“We can't do this without you, man!” said Yosuke.

“Souji-kun,” Taro said,

“We should've been able to stop them.  _ I _ should've been able to stop them.” He stood. “I'm so tired I can barely think. I can barely stop shaking. I'm...” He turned away from them. “I'm completely useless.”

Rise stomped over to him, whirled him around, and slapped his face hard. Taking advantage of his shock she grabbed his arms. “Listen, you've gotta stop this  _ right now _ . You hear me? You can't keep taking all this stuff on yourself! We're a  _ team _ , and we're  _ all  _ responsible. Okay?”

Souji blinked. He had been scolded by a lot of people over the years, but never once had he expected Rise to become one of them. At least, not so soon. He shook his head. “I'm the leader, and it's my...”

He stopped when Margaret gripped his shoulder, her fingers clamping down like a vise. “You must get ahold of yourself, Souji-san. You are the zero, the nexus. What must be done cannot be done without you.”

“Zero?” Nanako said. “Nexus?”

“You cannot triumph without your friends,” Margaret continued. “You know this. But they also cannot triumph without you. The stakes of this battle are not merely our lives, but the lives of all people, everywhere.”

Nanako tried to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. There had been too much going on, too many dissonant thoughts, and she'd had to “switch off” her mind reading power. Now, though, she needed to understand. Closing her eyes briefly, she released the mental muscle. Everyone's thoughts rushed in at once, and it took her a moment to filter down to Souji's.

When she was finally able to do so, the images in his mind immediately entered her own.  _ The “zero”. Combination of everything, and yet on his own still nothing.  _ That was how he felt. For the first time, she really understood why he took so much onto himself.  _ Putting that much responsibility on a teenager's shoulders – what was that old man thinking? _

“I'm responsible for everyone,” Souji continued, the quiver in his stomach making it hard to keep his voice sounding calm. His eyes were burning, and he really wanted to yawn, but he forced it back, gritting his teeth. “ _ I'm _ responsible...”

“Oh, get over yourself!” Ryotaro said. “This doesn't all revolve around you. Look, you're only human. If you start beating yourself up over every failure you're going to self-destruct. If you want to do that, fine, but wait until after we've finished saving your friends and, while we're at it, the world. Is that all right with you?” He grabbed Souji's hand and slapped the sword's handle into it. “Now are you going to let your friends die, or are you going to go rescue them?”

Souji found everyone's eyes on him, and immediately felt ashamed. Of course, they were all depending on him. He needed to “man up”, as his father had once told him when he complained about having to do homework. This was far more serious than all the schoolwork he'd ever done.

He closed his fingers around the sword's handle. Ryotaro released the blade, and he had to grab the handle with both hands to keep from dropping it. He'd forgotten how heavy it was, and yet now, holding it in his hand, it felt good. It felt right. This weapon, that had served him in so many battles, gave him some of his confidence back. “Yeah. Sorry. I'm good. I mean, I can do this. We can do this.”

“Great!” Rise said, grabbing him in a tight hug. “It's about time! Sorry about the whole slapping you thing.”

“Now, do we even have a plan?” Yukiko said. “We don't even know where they went.”

“Well, through that puddle out there, duh!” Teddie said.

“I mean, where did they end  _ up _ ?” Yukiko said.

“Well, the Shadow World, where else?” Chie said. “I mean, they went through that puddle like it was water, right? The TVs are just like that.”

“Um, the puddle  _ is _ water,” Yosuke said.

Chie smacked him on the shoulder. “You know what I meant!”

Taro shook his head. “You're assuming that the only other world is the Shadow World. What about the Velvet Room? Or the world Souji-kun was in? It could be one of those, or even one we haven't even imagined yet.”

“Likely not the Velvet Room,” Margaret said. “But you are correct: there are many more worlds than these. However, I believe it likely that they are in a particular plain inhabited by certain beings you would consider 'supernatural', given their direct involvement in these – events.”

“ _ Child of another world, does it so pain you to simply call us 'gods'?” _

“Oh, no,” Yosuke said. “Not...”

Amaterasu flashed into existence in front of the sliding door. At her feet was Oinari, in her fox form, looking even more bedraggled than before. Her left eye was closed, a trickle of dried blood running down her fur.

“You!” Rise said, releasing Souji's shoulders and stepping up to her. “What happened to Kanji-kun?”

“And Nao-chan?” Teddie said.

“My brother is drawing you in, of course. Trying to make you rush to action before you are ready.”

“As in a trap?” Yukiko said.

“Well sometimes you just need to spring the trap, don't ya?” Yosuke said.

Amaterasu shook her head. “Is that the extent of your plan? If so, then he will destroy you.”

“Hey!” Souji said, stepping forward. He slid his sword into its scabbard and gripped it tightly. For the moment, it gave him the confidence he sorely needed. “Look, we beat a god before, and we'll do it again! The best thing you can do it stay out of our way.”

“Y-yeah!” Rise said, stunned by his sudden change in demeanor. She couldn't be sure if it was an act, or if their impromptu intervention had truly pulled him out of his funk. She wished she had Nanako's ability to read minds.

“Um, Amaterasu, I felt someone inside Naoto-senpai's body,” Nanako said. “I tried to stop him from taking her, but he...grabbed me, stopped me. That was your brother, wasn't it?”

Amaterasu looked down at her, her face a passive mask. “Yes, indeed it was.”

“But he was like two people,” Nanako said. “First he threatened me, then he was all nice and said, 'It'll be over soon', or something like that.”

“My brother is duplicitous,” Amaterasu said. Nanako didn't understand that word; at first she thought it had something to do with a double nature, as if he'd duplicated himself, but from what the others were thinking, she understood that it meant he was a liar.  _ As if I didn't already know that.  _ And yet, it seemed like there was something else, something Amaterasu wasn't telling her. Before she could speak, though, she felt something rub against her legs. Oinari looked up at her, her one remaining eye staring sadly. Something felt strange about this, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Oinari seemed genuine, despite keeping up her false form, and yet Amaterasu...

“Look, sorry Nanako-chan, but what does that matter?” Chie crossed the room to Amaterasu and looked straight up into her eyes. “You wanna help us, tell us how to beat him.”

“My brother is far more powerful than you can handle in your present condition,” Amaterasu said, crossing her arms gently across her chest. “A battle would not be wise.”

“I control Izanagi,” Souji said. “I've studied. He's your father, right? One of the most powerful gods? I think that's enough to beat some _ thing _ that came from his nose.”

“Uh – what?” Chie said. “His nose?”

“Susano-O,” Yukiko said. “I'll explain it later.”

Amaterasu sighed loudly, as if in anguish. She stepped toward Souji, and he noticed that flowers sprang up from the carpet between her toes each time her feet touched it. They vanished as she lifted each foot, but it still struck him as strange. She placed a hand on his shoulder, retaking his attention, and he immediately began to feel warm, a slightly nervous tingling spreading down from her touch into his stomach. “Have you learned nothing from your experience with Loki, and with your other self? Do you still believe yourself to walk among the gods as one of them? Because if you do, you will die, and will cause the deaths of all those you love. I do not wish for you to fail.”

Souji opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it. He  _ had _ learned, hadn't he? Or was he still having delusions, like his Shadow said?

“Hey, cool it!” Yosuke said. “He's right! He controls Izanagi, right?”

Amaterasu shook her head. “He does not. Not the true Izanagi. Much the same as you do not control the true Susano-O.” She turned to Yukiko. “Nor do you control me.”

“So then he beat Izanami all on his own,” Rise said.

“No, my father did. Souji was merely the channel.” She turned back to Souji. “This time, your power will be yours alone. And it will be insufficient to defeat my brother if you face him directly.”

Souji looked away from her, and slowly, gently, sat on the couch. He started chewing on his thumbnail, a bad habit he'd picked up in college.  _ Not enough power. We're too weak? Is that what she's saying? We can't defeat Susano-O? Then why bother? No. No, I won't accept that. We were outmatched before, and we won then, too. If we'd given up then, there wouldn't be humanity anymore. We'd all be Shadows.  _ He stood. “No. We're gonna rescue Kanji and Naoto. We're gonna face Susano-O. And we're gonna win. We're gonna win because we have to. If you're not going to help us, then get the hell out of our way.”

Amaterasu stared at him for a moment, and then cast her gaze upon each of the others, lingering upon Nanako before returning it to him. “Very well, then. But you must remember one thing.” She leaned in toward Souji, casting one more quick glance at Nanako before staring him straight in the eyes. “All does not center around you.” Before anyone could respond, she vanished.

“She's gone? Just like that?” Taro said. “Something about this just isn't right. I don't trust her, but maybe there's something to what she's saying about caution.”

“She could just be afraid we'll win,” Teddie said. “It's her brother, and...” Oinari interrupted him with a sharp bark. “Oh, well, maybe not.”

“I don't care what she says,” Nanako said. “Big Bro's right. We're gonna do this because we can. Because we have to. We all agreed?”

The team voiced their mutual agreement. Ryotaro went for his holster, but Nanako stepped in his path. “Um, Dad, you – you shouldn't come.”

“What?” Ryotaro said.

“Your Shadow,” Nanako said. “Your Shadow'll come out.”

“His Shadow? How do you know?” Taro said. “It didn't come out before.”

“I – I...” Nanako said, looking at the spot Amaterasu previously occupied. “I just know.”

“Wait –  _ she _ told you, didn't she?” Ryotaro said.

“She said...” Nanako sighed. “She suppressed your Shadow when you came in with us before. If you come in this time, she said she can't do it.”

“I thought you didn't care what she said,” Yukiko said.

“Hold on,” Souji said. “You're assuming they're in the Shadow World. Or – is that what Amaterasu told you?” Before Nanako could answer he looked upward. “Is that where they are, then? Why couldn't you just tell us?” He paused for a moment. “Where the hell are you? Answer me!”

Oinari barked at him and he glanced down. “Then  _ you _ answer me.”

“Big Bro...” Nanako said.

“Souji.” There was a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see it belonged to Yosuke. “Hey, man, look...”

“I'm not afraid to face myself,” Ryotaro said. “I'm not letting you all face this alone. With Tatsumi and Shirogane missing, you'll need my help.”

“We're going in. All of us.” Souji turned to Ryotaro. “If your Shadow comes out we'll fight it. We're not gonna be afraid of what  _ might _ happen.” He pointed out the door. “If we go in there scared, we're gonna die. If we go in brave, we'll have a chance. If any of you are afraid, stay behind and none of us'll think different of you. But all of us going in need to believe we can win.”

“I believe we can win,” Taro said. “I believe in you.”

“Believe in  _ yourself _ ,” Souji said. “You have to believe in yourself.”

Taro hesitated for a second. “I do. I believe in myself. I believe in every single one of us.” He looked over them all, focusing on each one of them. “I believe in you because at one time you all believe in me, and because of that belief you were able to save the world.” He focused on Margaret. “I believe in you. And me.” He turned back to Souji. “Good enough?”

Souji forced a smile. “Works for me.” He thought for a moment. Despite his exhaustion, despite the fear for Naoto and Kanji, he actually felt better than he had in a long time. This group was the closest he'd ever come to lasting friendship. Probably closer than he ever would again.

“What?” Yosuke said.

Souji realized he'd been staring at them. He shook his head. “Sorry, I was just thinking. This is how we all got together in the first place, really. Going to another world, saving each other.”

“Yes,” Yukiko said, “I guess you're right.”

“If it wasn't for you guys, I'd still be some hollow bear living all alone,” Teddie said.

“We gotta stick together,” Rise said. “No more splitting up. We're friends for life. I mean, this proves it, doesn't it? Even a god and his Memflies couldn't keep us apart.” There were a few affirmations and she nodded. “And you all have to try my beef stroganoff, now that I know how to cook it.” She smiled widely at Souji, who bit his lip and looked away.

“Um, cook?” Yosuke said. “You? No way, not Mystery Food X again!”

“Hey!” Rise said. “Senpai taught me now to cook it, okay?”

“'Senpai' taught you?” Yukiko said. She looked at Souji. “Really?  _ You  _ taught her?”

“Well, don't sound so surprised,” Souji said.

“I'm not, I just – wow, I wish I'd thought of that years ago.”

They stood in silence for a moment, before Chie said, “Well then, what're we waiting for?”

Souji nodded, and slipped his scabbard's strap across his chest. “Let's mosey.”

“Um, what?” Chie said. “'Mosey'?”

“Is that...English?” Yukiko said.

Souji had said that without realizing he'd said it. He wasn't sure when that had entered his lexicon, but it sounded as silly to him as he imagined it had to the others. He rubbed the back of his head. “Let's, um, go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What is this place?” Yukiko said. “It looks like a cave. Real dark.”

“Cave of horrors,” Chie said, her weapon at ready. “Can't see a damn thing. It didn't look this dark from the other side.”

Teddie shivered. “This place gives me the creeps!”

“Looks more like a sewer,” Nanako said, “kinda like where the Mutant Turtles live.”

“Ewww!” Rise said, gingerly lifting a foot from the ground. “I don't wanna be walking around in someone's poo!”

“Just don't step in the chunky parts,” Yosuke said with a half-grin.

“You are  _ so _ gross!” Rise said.

“Just relax, guys,” Taro said. He raised his hand, and a sphere of light appeared above it. It illuminated the walls, ceiling, and floor, but only in their immediate vicinity. The ceiling was a lazy arc, just barely higher than the top of Taro's head at its highest point in the center. The arc stopped at a sharp angle at about the height of his waist, the wall dropping straight down to the flat floor, which was strewn with gravel. Every surface looked wet, with tiny water streams running across the ceiling and down the walls, pooling in places on the ground. “Whatever it is, it definitely looks manufactured,” he said. “Not that a god couldn't manufacture something like this if he wanted, I guess.”

“This is what we saw earlier,” Chie said. “When Kanji-kun jumped in after Naoto-kun.” She looked in both directions. “That's the way we came in, so they had to've gone this way.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder.

“Hey, what's that?” Nanako said. She knelt down and touched her finger to the ground. She brought it back up into the light from Taro's hand and gasped, running over to the wall and frantically wiping it off.

“What, what?” Yosuke said. He ran over to her. “What is it?”

“I – I think...it was...blood!” Nanako said, half-frantic.

Taro aimed his hand downward, and they could see shapes glistening at regular intervals. They appeared to be in the shape of an inverted heart, lopsided and with a flattened bottom. “Footprints, maybe?” he said. “You could see that, Nanako-san?”

Nanako clutched her hands around herself, and Yosuke hugged her, followed by Souji.

“Bloody footprints?” Rise said.

“I don't think either of them was wearing shoes,” Chie said. She scraped the toe of her boot on the floor. “These rocks are kinda jagged. One of them stepped on them and got cut, maybe.”

“Makes...makes sense,” Ryotaro said. He staggered toward the wall and leaned against it as best he could, given its shape. He took a few deep breaths.

“You all right, Dojima-san?” Yukiko said.

“Yeah, fine, just – a little winded is all.” He pulled his hand from the wall and looked at his palm. It was wet, and covered in bits of grit. Despite the darkness of the walls, once pulled away from it and in Taro's light the pieces on his hand looked brightly-colored and almost pearlescent. “These – kind of look like...bits of seashell.”

“Seashell?” Yosuke said. “But this guy's god of storms, right?”

“And the ocean, too,” Yukiko said.

“He's not the only god involved, anyway,” Rise said. “Isn't that what Amaterasu said?”

“I don't think there's a lot we can assume,” Souji said, “but we have to keep going. Hopefully these footprints'll lead us to Kanji and Naoto.”

“Or into a trap,” Teddie said.

“There is little choice,” Margaret said. “We appear to be trapped here anyway. Moving forward appears to be our only option.”

“Dad?” Nanako said to Ryotaro when he hesitated too long in pushing away from the wall. “You sure you're okay?”

“Okay? Why, I'm fantastic! Never felt better in my life! I could leap a whole building if I chose to!”

“What?” Nanako said.

“Hold it, who are you?” Chie said, leveling her weapon at a figure walking down the tunnel toward them. It was Ryotaro, or another version of him, wearing an outfit of red and blue tights, with a long red cape. His hair was slicked back _ , _ and he was smirking smugly. “W-what?” Chie said. She glanced between both Ryotaros. “Dojima-san, don't tell me this your – your...?”

“Are you serious with the tights?” Yosuke said. “What're you, Superman?”

“We don't have time to mess around with you!” Teddie said, brandishing his claws.

“Then make time,” the other Ryotaro said. “Not like you have a choice.”

“We could just beat the crap out of you now and be on our way,” Souji said.

“Beat the crap out of me?” Shadow Ryotaro said. “Hardly. Look at me! Ryotaro Dojima, the invincible! Go ahead, Satonaka, shoot and see!”

Ryotaro, his head heavy, barely managed to keep his eyes locked on his other self. “You're - are you...?”

“You,” the Shadow said. “Your inner self. The part of you that wants so desperately to be the hero that he's willing to give up everything, even time with his own daughter. The part that resents her. The part that cries at night sometimes when you think she can't hear you, missing your dead wife so much. How's Chisato, by the way? Oh, right, that wasn't her. But, of course, you were willing to believe anything, weren't you? Anything to get a chance to see her again? Ryotaro the Invincible, beaten by a broken heart. Boo-hoo...”

“Dad...?” Nanako said, touching his arm. “Is that...is that really...?”

Ryotaro pulled away from her touch, making slow, slogging steps toward the Shadow. They stared each other in the eyes for a moment. “Yes, just brush her off, like you always...”

In an instant there was a swing, the sound of knuckles striking bone, and the Shadow was on the ground, its hand to its face. The others cried out in surprise while Ryotaro rubbed the hand with which he'd decked his Shadow. “Let me make sure I remember this right: you humiliate me, make me say you're not me, then you become powerful and they have to fight you to save me. That's how it works, right?” Before the gape-mouthed Shadow could answer, Ryotaro continued, “Yes, I fantasize that I'm a hero. Yes, I believe myself to be a bad father and wonder how Nanako turned out so well despite that. And before yo u bring it up, I did resent Nanako before, sometimes, because she reminded me so much of Chisato and I missed her badly. I wanted to just throw myself into my work and forget, but I couldn't because she needed me, and because she reminded me so much of her mother. And yes, more than once I've considered eating my own gun just for all those reasons. So there it is, humiliation done. You got anything else to say, or can we get this over with? There are two people's lives in danger and we don't have time for any more bullshit!”

The others had watched this exchange in absolute silence. It was the last thing any of them had expected. Yosuke leaned toward Souji. “Dude, was your uncle always this scary?”

“Sometimes,” Souji said, completely perplexed by what he had just seen. He'd never imagined anyone would be strong enough to beat their own Shadow this way.

The Shadow smiled and stood. Ryotaro drew back to punch again but the Shadow raised a hand in surrender. “You know something? I kinda like you.” As soon as those words were said, Shadow Ryotaro vanished in a flash of blue light. In its place appeared a man, thick of chest but with spindly arms and legs, and a head directly attached to its muscular shoulders. Its face was covered in a skeletal mask, and what appeared to be a giant sword was speared through the center of its chest. “ _ I am Castor,” _ it said. “ _ Our destiny lies together, down the road of a thousand miles.” _

It vanished, leaving behind a card spinning in the air. Ryotaro reached out and accepted it. After examining it for a moment he chuckled. “So, guess I finally get my own...” A sudden wave of dizziness brought him to his knees, and the others rushed to him immediately.

“Dad!” Nanako said. “Dad, you okay?”

“I'm okay,” he said. “Just a little woozy.” He turned to her. “Nanako, I'm so sorry you had to hear all that. I - I...”

“It's okay,” she said. “I know what you're trying to say.” She tapped her temple. “We've all got bad stuff inside us, but how we deal with us makes us who we are. My Shadow said a lot of the same kind of stuff about you.”

“Well, I probably deserve whatever it said. You don't deserve any of what mine said. We should talk later. I owe it to you.”

“Are you even going to be able to go on?” Yukiko said. “You look like you're ready to pass out.”

“I'm not letting you guys down,” Ryotaro said.

“Especially not after you made us bring you along, huh?” Chie said. “Um, sir.”

Oinari pushed her way through the others to him. She pulled a leaf from underneath her tattered bib and touched it to Ryotaro's face. He blinked, and then opened his eyes wide and drew in a strong breath. He stood quickly, bumping his head on the cave's ceiling.

The cave rumbled, and Oinari turned her head up and howled. “It seems I am no longer the only one breaking the rules,” Margaret said. “Perhaps Taro-san will be kind enough to offer you a place to stay in your exile as well.”

“Wait, what?” Taro said.

“Guys, c'mon,” Rise said. “Dojima-san, if you can make it, we gotta go find Kanji and Naoto.”

“I'm fine,” Ryotaro said. “And you're right, we need to move.”

Shortly after they'd started down the tunnel Chie said, “So that was Dojima-san's Shadow, right? That means we're in the Shadow World then?”

“Guess so,” Yosuke said.

“Guys!” Nanako said, “it's Kanji-senpai! I can sense him!” She pointed down the darkened hallway. “There!” She ran ahead of the others.

“Hey, wait up!” Souji said, running after her.

“Dammit!” Chie said. “Didn't you guys learn from what happened to Kanji and Naoto?”

“I – I can sense him too, I think.” Rise said. She sprinted past Souji, keeping pace between him and Nanako. “He's right ahead, c'mon!”

As he ran Souji thought longingly to the leaf that Oinari had given Ryotaro, and considered stopping her and asking for another of his own. The burst of energy he'd gained earlier was all but gone, and he was having a hard time keeping up the pace. Rise, apparently sensing this, grabbed his arm and practically dragged him along as she sped up. “C'mon, Senpai, you can make it.”

“I know,” he said, breathing heavily. He reached into his pocket for his Izanagi Persona card and flipped it around in his hand. Izanagi-no-Okami's strength added a slight boost to his own, but did nothing to alleviate the gel in which it felt like his thoughts were trapped.

“Kanji-kun!” Yukiko rushed past the three of them toward a hunched-over form crouching on the ground, and she was first upon him. He was rocking back and forth on his dirty, wet stocking feet. She hovered over him and placed her hand on his back. “Kanji-kun?”

He looked up at her and she gasped. His eyes were deep red. “Nao-tan?” he asked, weakly.

Yukiko shook her head. “No – no, it's Yukiko. Kanji-kun, do you recognize me?”

“Wait, Senpai...” Nanako started. “He's not...”

“Nao-tan...” he said. “Where's Nao-tan?” The others reached him and he looked over them all. “Nao-tan?”

“We haven't found her,” Yosuke said. “Do you know where she...holy shit...”

“His eyes...” Chie said.

“Be careful,” Margaret said as Kanji's eyes swept across her. “He's not...”

“ _ You! _ ” Kanji leaped to his feet and tackled Souji. Rise screamed as Kanji's flying form knocked her to the ground.

Kanji, throttling Souji, growled, “Where is she? What did you do to her?”

Souji couldn't answer. His vision was beginning to turn red. He'd forgotten just how strong Kanji was and in his condition he was too weak to fight the man off. Ryotaro and Taro were on Kanji immediately, tearing his hands from Souji's throat and pulling him back. He struggled wildly, screaming, “He did it! He took her!”

Nanako shivered, backing away from him. “He's in him. Susano-O's in his head.” It was the face she'd seen in her room, the one that had frozen her in place when she tried to stop Naoto from running away. It was a handsome, frightening visage, and even as she looked in on it, it stared right back out at her.

Kanji thrashed, almost tearing away from the older men's grip. “Lemme go!”

“In his head?” Ryotaro said.

“Like Loki was in yours?” Taro said.

“Yeah,” Nanako said.

“Can we get him out somehow?” Yukiko said.

“Yosuke, take him,” Taro said. Yosuke took Kanji's arm and Taro stepped in front of him. “Let's see if this works. Persona!”

Kunino-sagiri emerged form him, but with the cramped quarters it was forced into a fetal position. Kanji immediately cried out, and then collapsed in Ryotaro and Yosuke's grip. He slipped out of Yosuke's hands, but Ryotaro held tight. “Oops, Sorry,” Yosuke said, taking hold of him again.

“That did it!” Rise said. “You did it, Taro-san!”

“I don't think it was me,” Taro said. “I didn't do anything.”

“He left Kanji-senpai's mind on his own,” Nanako said. “He knew what was coming and he just gave up.”

“Susano-O doesn't strike me as someone who just 'gives up',” Yukiko said.

“He's got something else waiting for us,” Chie said.

“Nao-chan, probably,” Teddie said.

“Nao...chan?” Kanji said.

“Kanji!” Souji said. He knelt down in front of Kanji. “Hey, you all right?”

“Careful, Souji,” Ryotaro said, trying to push him out of the way.

“He's my friend,” Souji said. “Give me a minute.”

“Souji?” Kanji said, his eyes swiveling around to him. “Wha...what happened? What was I talkin' about?” Souji extended a hand, which Kanji accepted, and then pulled him to his feet. “Man, I just had the weirdest dream, like...I was trying to kill you.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I think. Head's kinda messed...shit, Naoto!” His head darted right and left. “Dammit, I lost her!”

“We're pretty sure she went that way,” Taro said, pointing down the tunnel. “Only one way she could've gone, unless the tunnel splits.”

“Then we'd best be on our way,” Margaret said. “Something tells me we have an advantage of timing.”

“Huh?” Chie said. “You mean we caught him by surprise?”

“I would not say that,” Margaret said, “but...”

“If we've got an advantage we need to take it,” Taro said. He turned to Souji. “Right?”

Souji's mind still felt muddy, but for some reason he was having more trouble concentrating now. “What? Uh, yeah, we should go.”

“Senpai?” Rise said. “You all right? You look kinda wiped out. She touched a hand to his forehead, but he pulled away.

“Fine,” Souji said.

“Then let's move,” Taro said. “C'mon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naoto sat in the corner of the wide chamber, hands clutched to her head. She had awakened to a splitting headache, something with which she was all too familiar for most of her life. Her feet hurt too, especially her right one. After a quick glance she'd realized she must have cut her sole on one of the sharp pebbles on the ground, but she didn't remember having done it. For that matter, she didn't remember having changed clothes, what had happened to her shoes, or how she had even gotten to this place. Everything in her head was a crazed, waxen mishmash through which she simply could not cut.

Not long after awakening she had found her gun, lying before her as if intentionally placed there, fully loaded and well-oiled. She didn't know how, but it was here, in this dark, dank place. It wasn't the new one her grandfather had given her, which she knew she'd lost but couldn't quite remember how, but rather the old one she'd used years before, the one that had belonged to her father before his untimely death. She could have sworn she'd left it in its display case back at the estate, cleaned and polished as new as the day her grandfather had first fired it, defending a politician against a crazed assailant during the Occupation.

Even pressed to her head in a vain attempt to force away the pain, it felt right in her hand and she realized how much she'd missed it. Six bullet cylinder, good weight, well-worn grip that felt perfect under her calloused fingers. Were it not for the new weapon her grandfather had given her, she would never have given this one up.

She pulled it from her head to examine it, lines of red pulsing in her vision. She turned it around in her grip, taking brief enjoyment from the nostalgia it gave her. Like her new gun, there was no safety catch. She didn't need one. She was well-trained and an expert marksman.

With a sigh she gripped it, index finger on the trigger, and stuck the muzzle into her temple.

_ Oh no you don't. _

Her hand jerked away, the gun flying from her grip. It clattered to the floor, scattering a small pile of the sharp stones. She scrambled for it, paying no attention to the stones tearing into her feet, but it skittered away each time she got close.

_ No, no, no. Bad girl. You can't have it back until you promise not to use it on yourself. _

“No!” she cried to the emptiness, her voice echoing off the walls. “I can't! You can't make me do this!”

_ I don't have to. You will do it of your own free will. _

“It's not my free will! You're coercing me!”

_ Am I? You know the truth. I am only pushing you toward what you know must be done. _

“I am no murderer!” She stood and shouted at the ceiling. “I am  _ no _ murderer! I'll die myself first!”

_ It will not be murder. You will confront him about his guilt, and he will attack you. They all will attack you. You will defend yourself, and in the process you will have no choice but to kill him. _

“No...” Naoto said, tears starting to run down her cheeks. “Please, no...”

_ Pick it up! _

She knelt down and grabbed the gun. She stood and examined it once more, and then slid it into her pocket. After a moment's hesitation she sank to her knees. “Please – please let me have a chance to arrest him.” Her voice was choked, and she fought back the tears as best she could. “Please don't force me to kill him.”

A sigh.  _ Whatever makes you feel better. I am not forcing you to do anything. Anything you do will be your choice, based on their actions. _

“I – I understand. Master.” She swiped a hand across her face. She hated having to say that word. She hated  _ herself,  _ for all of this. She wished she could remember how she'd gotten to this point. Serving a master she didn't understand, or even trust. Being forced to mete out justice to her friends, at the point of a gun.

There was a hideous screech from the corridor beyond, and it made her head throb.  _ Guards _ , she thought.  _ His guards _ . She started across the chamber and into the corridor, stepping gingerly on her injured foot. She couldn't let him take them. She had to get there quickly.

She knew she would be far more merciful than her master would be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Whoa, wait, everyone stop,” Yosuke said, holding out his arms. “What the hell's that?”

“Hang on,” Taro said. He aimed his hand downward, closing his fingers around the light sphere to focus the beam forward, intensifying it. It glinted off the damp floor and walls, making visible the dark masses slithering about the floor. One of them turned, deep red eyes catching the light, and there was a loud squeal as it turned and scrambled away. Oinari barked at them, but then immediately fled for refuge at Rise's feet.

“Those look just like Shadows!” Chie said. “Like,  _ real _ Shadows! I thought – I thought there weren't any more of those!”

“These're the same things I ran into before,” Kanji said. “When I was goin' after Naoto. They stopped me.”

“I can't call Kanzeon in here to scan them,” Rise said. “We gotta get out of this tunnel!”

“They look different,” Souji said. “Not like the ones from before. Is it possible these are just Memflies again?”

“I don't think so,” Nanako said. She called forth Seraph, who swept over them, causing them all to scatter, screeching, before the Persona vanished. Taro had to aim his light beam at a pair that started down the corridor toward them. “They feel different. Almost...” She paused. “Almost like – people? Different than the Memflies did. Like they're...”

“I am no murder!”

“What the hell was that?” Taro said.

“Naoto!” Kanji said. “That was Naoto's voice!” He started toward the Shadows but Taro blocked him.

“You need to stop rushing in without thinking!” Taro said.

“Those things've probably got her!” Kanji said, trying to get around him. “We gotta help her!”

“Fine, we'll help her,” Souji said. “But together, all right?”

Kanji shook his head for a second, but then finally growled. “Fine!”

“Everyone, let's do this!” Souji said, drawing his sword. The adrenaline of the coming battle helped him to punch through some of the fog in his own head.

“Yeah! Sensei's back!” Teddie said, rushing with the others toward the Shadows.

As soon as they reached the first ones Chie and Yosuke, who had taken the lead, struck the nearest Shadows, Yosuke with his knives and Chie delivering swift kicks. More Shadows swarmed in to replace those, and the others joined in the fight.

“Kinda close quarters here!” Yosuke said as he dodged a swipe from Teddie's claws.

Yukiko summoned her Persona and roasted a pair of Shadows with Maragidyne. Four more appeared in their place. “Is it just me, or are there twice as many now as there were before?”

“You might be right,” Ryotaro said. He fired his gun three times, wiping out a Shadow, and three more took its place. “I don't have that many rounds on me!”

“Dojima-san, your Persona!” Rise said.

“Oh, right!” he said, pulling the card from his shirt pocket. He examined it for a moment, just as Nanako summoned Seraph and vaporized three more Shadows with Megidolaon. Seven more appeared to replace them.

“This place is gonna fill up with them!” Nanako said.

Ryotaro tossed his card in the air and swung the butt of his gun downward, smashing it. Castor appeared before him, yanked the sword from his chest, and pointed it at the Shadows. Waves of red energy flowed outward at them, striking several of them and dispersing a few.

“Hey, not bad, Dojima-san!” Yosuke said.

“I don't think we're getting anywhere,” Souji said. “More just keep coming!”

“They've gotta end somewhere!” Taro said.

“This world is not yours!” Margaret said, summoning Gorgon for an attack. “Your world's rules do not apply here. There could indeed be an infinite number of enemies!”

“Well just great!” Chie said. “So how we supposed to get past them?”

“Persona!”

“W-wha? Who said that?” Teddie said.

There was a single gunshot from far down the corridor, the report ringing along the smooth walls.

“No, it's...it's...!” Rise started.

Yamato-Takeru swept toward them, splitting the Shadows and sending them into the walls. They vanished into the stone with an unearthly wail. “Leave them alone!”

Taro dismissed Kunino-sagiri and brought up the light in his palm just in time to see a human figure, far down the corridor, turn and run away.

“That was Naoto-senpai!” Nanako said. She shot forward, with Kanji only half a step behind her.

“Naoto! Wait up!”

Only the distant, echoing sound of feet slapping on wet stone came from her direction. Everyone else launched themselves down the tunnel, catching up with Nanako and Kanji.

“Hey, more of those bloody footprints,” Taro observed as they ran. “Fresher, I think. I think she's injured.”

“She's not right,” Nanako said. “Her head's all jumbled up!”

“Then we better catch her and help her out!” Chie said.

Rise, who had been furthest away from the battle with the endless Shadows, brought up the rear, carrying the injured Oinari. While she didn't have Nanako's ability for mind reading, she got a very bad vibe from Naoto. She had a feeling there was more, much more going on inside their friend, and that they were all running into a trap. And yet Naoto was their friend, no matter what she had been manipulated into doing, mo matter the animosity Rise still felt deep down for her. Once this was all over, even if it turns out that Naoto was completely controlled and prostrated herself before them in apology, Rise wasn't sure she could accept it. She hated it, hated herself  _ for _ it, but simply found it too hard to just set aside her anger even after the explanation Amaterasu had given.  _ You have to stop this right now, _ she told herself.  _ They're all counting on you, and you have to keep your head clear. Worry about it later! _

Not much farther ahead the corridor opened up into a wide chamber, though the ceiling was no higher than the tunnel, much to Rise's chagrin. Some unseen source provided enough light for them to see, so Taro extinguished the light from his palm.

Naoto had stopped running and was now facing them. Her arms were at her side, gun in hand, a bit of smoke rising from the barrel. She was still wearing the T-shirt and jeans Kanji had put on her, but they were both soaked and dirty. Her feet were uncovered from the ankles down and smeared with both blood and dirt.

“Naoto,” Kanji said, breathing heavily. He started toward her, but stopped when she pointed her gun at him. “Naoto, what the hell...?”

“Not another step. Any of you.” Her arm was shaking as she swept the gun's muzzle across each of their directions.

Despite his exhaustion, Souji immediately knew something was wrong with her, ignoring the fact that she was pointing her gun at them. If nothing else, he remembered Naoto handled her weapon with a surgeon's precision, almost like a machine. “Naoto, it's us,” he said. “You know us. We're your friends. We came here to find you.”

“Of course you did,” Naoto said, “and so you have. But this is the end of it.” She pointed the barrel squarely at him, some of the shakiness gone. “You've got one chance. Come quietly and nobody has to get hurt.”

“'Come quietly'?” Chie echoed, stepping in front of Souji. “What're you gonna do, arrest him? Are you out of your mind?”

“Chie!” Yukiko said. “I think...I think she might be!” She also positioned herself between Naoto and Souji.

“Yes, yes, protect him. By all means.” She lowered the gun. “I give you one chance, and one only: step aside and let me finish him. I-I...” Her voice croaked for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. “I will  _ not  _ allow him to bring about our destruction. If I must go through you all, then I  _ will _ do so.”

“Naoto! Can't you hear what you're sayin'?” Kanji said. “These're our friends!” He stepped forward and she brought the gun back up, pointing it at him. He raised his hands. “I'm your friend. I mean, more than your friend. Lookit me, huh? I was just some dumb hood, but you helped me straighten out, remember? And – and when my house burned down the other day, you helped me then, too. So what're you gonna do now, shoot me?”

Naoto's lips started to tremble, but then she bared her teeth. “I don't...I don't want to, Kanji,” she said, her voice wet and barely audible, “but if it's between you and humanity's damnation, I have to choose humanity.”

“This isn't you, Naoto-kun,” Yukiko said. “Listen to yourself! You're being manipulated. But you don't even believe it yourself, do you? Listen to yourself! You don't have to do what Susano-O's telling you to do.”

“Susano-O?” Naoto whispered, looking away. “Susano-O. Of course.” She turned back to Yukiko. “He told me all about him. And you.” She swept her gaze across them all. “You all love him so much you're blinded to his evil.”

“Evil?” Nanako rushed forward and Naoto immediately pointed her gun at the girl. Nanako froze.

“Y-yes, evil! I was blinded by his charm once, but no longer.”

Nanako stepped forward until the gun barrel touched her chest. Yukiko tried to grab her arm but she slapped it away. “Naoto-senpai, you're telling us he's evil. But you're the one pointing a gun at us.” She felt a tug at the back of her mind and glanced at Ryotaro and Chie, seeing they both had their guns drawn and had completely demolished the point she was trying to make. She sighed, and then stepped beyond Kanji, shrugging him off when he tried to restrain her. “I remember when we first met. I was just a little girl then. You came to see me in the hospital so many times when – I almost died. Are you going to kill me now?”

“I – I...” Naoto's hand started to shake again. She stepped back and cried out suddenly, clutching her head with both hands. Ryotaro grabbed Nanako and yanked her back, and Souji stepped in front of them both.

“You guys stay back,” he said.

“And you stay back too!” Yosuke said. “She's gone completely nuts, and you're her target!”

“Hey!” Kanji shouted.

“Kanji-kun, don't you see?” Chie said. “Susano-O's done this to her, but she's dangerous. If we can't help her, we have to stop her! However – whatever way we can.”

“Stop me?” Naoto said, standing bolt upright. “Stop  _ me _ ?” She fired her gun at Chie, and Yosuke knocked her to the side.

“No!” Kanji cried. “Persona!” He smashed his card and Rokuten Maou emerged, blasting Naoto with a relatively low-strength bolt of lightning. Her own Persona shielded her from much of it, but she still cried out and staggered backward. “Nao-tan, you've gotta stop this!”

“Nao-tan,” Naoto said, struggling to keep her footing despite the static still arcing across her body and into the ground. “Nao-tan...”

“Naoto, please,” Kanji said, “we're not the bad guys!”

“But...you are. You  _ have _ to be.”   
“Why?”

“Because...because  _ he _ says you are.”

Kanji shook his head. “Lookit me, Naoto. I'm not a bad guy. You remember me, right? Remember us?” Naoto lowered her gun, but then immediately raised it again. He continued, “C'mon, what've I gotta do to prove I'm not bad?”

Naoto's lower lip began to tremble. “You...you...” She sniffled. “I want you...want you to call me...'Nao-tan'. Like you used to.”

Kanji tilted his head. “Nao-tan,” he said, his voice low. “Nao-tan, please. Come back to us, 'kay? Back to me? I'm the one that screwed up, but I need you. I don't have nothin' left but you, now. No home, no nothin'. C'mon, just come with me. Let's just get outta here.”

“'Outta here'?” Teddie said. “You're not gonna run away and make us fight the Susan alone, are you?”

“Shut up!” Chie hissed. “He's trying to get through to her!”

“No!” Naoto cried, pointing her gun at Chie. “I can hear you! You're trying to manipulate me again, aren't you? Just like he said you would! I won't have it!” She turned to Kanji. “Kanji, you have to join me! You must believe me!”

Kanji shook his head. “Nao-tan...no...I can't believe... This isn't you! Souji's our friend! He's  _ your _ friend! You can't really believe all that shit...?”

“Bah!” Naoto said. She squeezed her eyes shut, pointed her gun toward the wall, and fired. There was a ringing as the shot ricocheted off the wall and into the ground. She opened her eyes again, revealing bright red irises. “If you won't help me then I will take you  _ all _ down! Persona!” Her Persona card appeared in the air in front of her and she fired at it. Yamato-Takeru emerged and swung its katana. The team was simultaneously struck with Vorpal Blade, with Kanji, Souji, and Yukiko taking the brunt of the blow and getting knocked off their feet.

“She's really going through with this!” Rise said, wishing desperately that she could use Kanzeon in this place. “Guys, I think – I think you're gonna have to fight her for real!”

“She's not herself,” Nanako said. “Susano-O's in her head, just like Kanji-senpai's!”

“No – no way...” Kanji said, pushing himself back onto his feet. “I'm not gonna...”

“Then get out of the way!” Chie said, shoving him back and taking his place next to Yukiko. “Naoto, we don't wanna do this! Don't make us hurt you!”

“Split up,” Souji said. “Surround her.” The others gave their agreement, and while he, Yukiko, and Chie stayed together, Nanako, Ryotaro, and Teddie split off and moved to Naoto's right. Yosuke, Taro, and Margaret made up the last group on Naoto's left. Kanji retreated to Rise's side. With only solid wall behind her, Naoto was boxed in.

“So this is how it will be, then? You all choose him over me?” She flipped open her revolver's cylinder, pulled out the three spent shells, and replaced them with fresh ones from her pocket. Despite the coming battle, Souji wondered briefly where she'd gotten those bullets from, since she was still wearing Nanako's jeans.

Taro caught Ryotaro's eye and nodded in his direction. Ryotaro winked, and then shouted, “Shirogane!” Naoto snapped her gaze to him and Taro charged toward her, grabbing for her arms. Without looking, she immediately spun around, her instep connecting with his jaw and knocking him to the ground She closed her gun's chamber and aimed at Taro's head. “No!” Margaret shouted, flinging the weighty Compendium at her. It knocked her arm to the left just as the muzzle flashed, the bullet just grazing Taro's hair. Both he and Naoto cried out, flecks of wet stone from the ground flying up and embedding themselves in Taro's scalp.

“Shirogane, put the gun away!” Ryotaro said, running up to her and aiming his weapon at point-blank range. “I mean it!”

She turned to look at him. Through clenched teeth she growled, “Persona!” Without her even having to shoot her Persona card, Yamato-Takeru appeared.

Ryotaro aimed at the Persona and fired, but his bullets passed easily through it and bounced off the ceiling, narrowly missing Yosuke. “Dad, your Persona!” Nanako said, but she already could see that, in the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten how. She jumped in front of him and called out Seraph. Seraph and Yamato-Takeru met in the air, and in a flash of white both vanished.

_ Dammit, I knew we should have made Ryotaro-san stay behind, _ Souji thought.  _ Persona or not, he's not ready for this. _

“Someone get Taro-san out of there!” Rise said.

Yosuke ran over to him and helped him get to his feet. “I'm okay,” Taro said. He pulled one hand from his head, and the fingers smeared with a bit of blood. Naoto immediately turned on them, bringing her gun hand around. Yosuke swiped at it with one of his knives, metal clanking against metal and knocking her aim wide. Chie ran up behind her and swung with a crescent kick. As if she'd seen it coming, Naoto dodged it just in time and brought her gun to bear on Chie, just as Chie regained her balance and aimed her own service pistol at Naoto's head.

“Naoto-kun, stop this!” Chie said, her eyes darting between Naoto's red eyes and the business end of her gun, so close to her face she could smell the sharp odor of burned powder in the barrel.

“ _ You _ stop this,” Naoto said. “You believe in justice. Law and order. Souji exemplifies the opposite. Chaos. Evil. Why do you still follow him?”

“Can't you just listen to yourself for a second? Don't you realize how crazy this sounds? Just stop and think about it for a minute. All of a sudden you think Souji's evil and you have to  _ kill  _ him?”

“Kill him? Kill...” Naoto blinked a few times and as she did so, her natural eye color returned. “No...I'm not a murderer, I'm...” She blinked once more and her eyes became red again. “I'm  _ justice _ .”

“Chie-chan, no!” Kanji said, rushing up from behind. Souji and Yukiko were able to hold him back, just barely. “Don't do it!”

Chie glanced past Naoto to see that Yosuke and Taro had gotten away. She shook her head. “Where'd you get all that stuff in your head from? Susano-O? Did you stop to think he lied to you?”

“Lie? No – no,” Naoto said. “I knew it. I – I always knew it.”

“So you're gonna kill me, then?” Chie said. “A police officer. Gonna kill all of us? Even Nanako-chan?”

“I-if...” Naoto bit her lip. The redness in her eyes began to fade. “If I have to.”

Chie frowned, and then ducked, bringing up her arm and knocking Naoto's aim off. Naoto squeezed off two shots but they went down the corridor behind Chie. Chie stepped toward her so Naoto's arm was over her shoulder. She reached up with her free hand to grab Naoto's arm, but Naoto wrapped that arm around her head and pressed the heated barrel to the underside of her chin. Chie yelped in pain and stomped down on Naoto's foot, causing Naoto to release her. Yosuke was behind her immediately, holding her in a headlock, but she jumped and swung her heel back into his shin, knocking his foot out from underneath him and causing him to release her. She spun and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him hard into the wall, and bringing her gun to bear.

This time Yukiko threw her fan, striking Naoto's wrist and again breaking her aim just before she fired. The bullet flew just past Yosuke's head and struck the ground. He scrambled away as she moved again to fire, but another shot rang out and the gun flew from her grip. Ryotaro, his weapon trained at Naoto's chest, stepped forward. She dove for her gun but Chie was quicker, sweeping her foot and kicking it away.

“Enough!” Ryotaro said. “Hands on your head, now!” Naoto glared at him for a moment, her eyes pulsating from dark to bright red, and then raised her hands slowly. “On your  _ head _ !” She complied, the blood running down from the wounds on her wrist onto the T-shirt. “You have no idea how goddamn lucky you are I hit the gun,” Ryotaro said. “Get down on your knees.”

“You're gonna arrest her?” Nanako said.

“Do it, Shirogane!” Ryotaro ordered.

Naoto glared at him. “You have no idea what you're doing, nor whom you're fighting.” She knelt down, flinching when the foot Chie had stomped grazed the hard ground.

“Satonaka, cover her.”

“On it,” Chie said, aiming her gun at Naoto.

Ryotaro walked around behind Naoto and pulled the handcuffs from his belt. He pushed her forward, practically slamming her onto the ground. “Hey, stop it!” Kanji shouted. “You're gonna hurt her!”

“Not now, Tatsumi,” Ryotaro said, grabbing Naoto's left arm and bringing it around to the small of her back. He slapped one of the cuffs on her wrist, and then grabbed her right arm.

Nanako had a brief flash of something from Naoto's mind. Or at least she thought it was Naoto's, but... “No, Dad, wait...!”

Naoto's Persona immediately appeared above her, lifting Ryotaro off his feet and throwing him into the wall. Yamato-Takeru then cast Megidolaon toward Chie, staggering her. The spell continued past her and hit Nanako, Souji, and Yukiko, filling the chamber with bright, blinding light.

As the light cleared there was the sound of bare feet slapping against wet stone, and a vocal panting. “No, Naoto!” Kanji cried. “Stop!” He ran after her, with Yukiko and Taro hot on his heels. Margaret scooped up the Compendium and took up the chase with them.

Nanako ran to Ryotaro, lying dazed on the ground, while Teddie and Rise ran to Souji and Yukiko. “I'm okay,” Ryotaro said, letting her help him up. “Never...had a perp pull that one.”

“This isn't funny, Dad!”

“Where'd she go?”

“They're all chasing after her!” Teddie said. After he cast Mediarahan to heal Souji, Yukiko, and Chie, he grabbed Yukiko's arm. “C'mon!”

Yukiko sent her own Mediarahan to Ryotaro and Nanako for good measure, and then let Teddie pull her along. “Come on, everyone!”

Oinari wriggled from Rise's grip and leaped onto Teddie's head, apparently using him as her ride for the chase. “Hey, wait!” Rise called. She started after them, but stopped when she reached Chie and Souji. She didn't want to split off from Souji, not now. She needed to be close to him, even if – no,  _ especially _ if, this were to be their last minutes. She wouldn't be able to help the others much if she couldn't use her Persona, anyway.

“Nanako, Ryotaro-san, let's go!” Souji called, and then followed after them, Rise and Chie with him. “I don't – I don't know how we're gonna stop her. Not without really hurting her. Or getting hurt worse ourselves.”

“You found a way to help Nanako-chan without hurting her, right?” Rise said. “Besides, I think she left her gun back there.”

“If Margaret's right about this world having different rules, she might have a million of them,” Nanako said.

“She's just gone completely batshit  _ insane _ ,” Chie said. “Even if we catch her and subdue her, how're we gonna actually  _ help _ her?”

“Maybe that trick Taro-san did before can help somehow,” Rise said. “What he did with Kanji-kun, I mean.”

“I don't know,” Nanako said, catching up to them. “It's not Memflies this time. And I think Susano-O wants her a lot more than he wanted Kanji-senpai.”

“You sure?” Souji said.

“Great,” Chie said. “Well, we better think of something so we don't end up having to kill her!”

Souji was shocked to hear her say that. Not that it hadn't crossed his mind at some point during their fight, about the time she'd knocked him on his ass with her Megidolaon. But to know someone else was thinking it, it made him wonder just how much they all had changed over the years. When they'd been investigating the murders, only once had any of them even  _ considered _ resorting to killing, and that was against who they thought was a serial killer that was on the verge of escape.  _ No, that was revenge, _ he reminded himself.  _ Revenge for what we thought was Nanako's murder. _ Naoto had not murdered any of them, but though she'd come close to killing a few of them she was still their friend, and she was injured, both mentally and physically. If they actually set their minds on killing her, they would be far more than a match for anything she could muster.

_ How can I even think that? What he hell is wrong with me? We're going after her to help her, not to kill her! She ran off...because why? She was afraid? Or...  _ “She's leading us right into a trap.”

“Wait, what?” Rise said.

Souji skidded to a stop, almost slipping on the wet, gravel-peppered ground. “Hey, what the hell?” Chie said.

“Rise, call everyone and tell them to stop running after her. She's leading us right into Susano-O's trap!”

Rise jogged back to him. “You sure?”

“Just do it!”

Rise hesitated for a second. “Senpai, I can't call Kanzeon here. There's no room.”

Souji looked up, remembering the low ceiling. He remembered that he hadn't once heard her voice in his head during any of the fights since they'd entered here, and kicked himself.  _ I need to get my head into this before I get us killed. _ “Can you try?”

Rise blinked at him. “But – but I can't...”

“Just try!” he barked. Surprised at his own tone, he added, “Sorry, just, please, I need you to try.”

Rise frowned, but she knew he was right. And, she would race into the gates of hell if Souji asked her to. “All right, I'll try. Persona!”

Bright blue smoke rose from her body and filled the air around them. A tall form briefly flashed into existence around her, its waist ending at the ceiling.

“ _ Everyw...back...trap...come b...please!” _

The form vanished just as quickly, as did the smoke. “I – I can't hold it!” Rise said, stumbling forward. Souji caught her and she laid her head against his chest. She heaved a couple heavy breaths. “I'm sorry, I – I just...I couldn't...”

“You did fine, Rise,” Souji said. “Thank you. I'm sorry I yelled.”

“We could hear you a little,” Chie said. “Maybe it got through.”

“I couldn't see or hear anyone but us here,” Rise said. “They're gone.”

“Gone?” Ryotaro said.

“Something's between them and us,” Nanako said, her eyes closed. She pounded a fist into her forehead. “Why didn't I see it before? It's like something's blocking me down here on purpose!”

“Something like what?” Chie asked.

“There's some kind of wall just ahead,” Nanako said. “I can't hear through it, so you probably can't hear them either. Even if they could hear you.”

“Guys, they might be in trouble!” Chie said. “We can't stop here!”

“And that may be exactly what this god wants us to think,” Ryotaro said.

“What do we do, Senpai?” Rise said.

Everyone turned to him, only the small light coming from the small pocket flashlight Ryotaro carried allowing him to see it. He shook his head. “We don't have any choice. Trap or not, we still have to keep going.” He continued down the hall at a slower pace, trying his best to stay aware and alert. He called out for Yukiko, Teddie, Yosuke, or anyone else, but the only response was his own voice echoing off the stone.

“Even if they can hear you, we can't hear them saying anything,” Nanako said.

“Yeah,” Souji said, his voice low and just barely missing the anxiety he tried to keep out of it.

They continued on in silence, each one's trepidation building on the others'. Nanako, blessed and cursed to feel all they felt, had to block their minds out completely to keep her own from being crushed by them. After this was all done, she hoped she could find a way to turn off this “gift”, or to somehow get rid of it completely. The thought that there would indeed  _ be _ an “after this was all done” helped ease her worry, if only a little.

“Senpai?” The sound of Rise's voice made them all jump. She cleared her throat lightly and said, “I want to see America. With you.”

He glanced to her, feeling the corner of his mouth jerk up a bit. “It's – really not all that different from Japan. Really. A bit more spread out, even in the cities, but that's about it. Not the parts I've seen. Well, gets colder there, I guess, with a lot of snow sometimes, but...”

“You don't get it.” She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “I want to see it  _ with you _ . When we're –  _ done _ with this, I want to go back there with you. I guess...see the place that kept you away.” When she saw Souji's lips begin to curl downward she added, “I wanna tell it that it can't keep you forever. I'm not gonna let it.”

Souji felt his throat start to close up and his eyes start to burn. He turned away immediately, trying to hide his face, as he was sure that he was about to start crying, even if he didn't know why. No, he knew why. He had the strong feeling that there wasn't going to be an “after” to this. He thought back to before, when they fought Izanami, and how woefully unprepared they were. They'd had months of training then, and were at the peak of their powers and skills. Now, even if they somehow managed to win, he doubted it would actually guarantee their survival. He forced himself to swallow. “Okay,” was all he could manage.

Nanako forced a smile. While she could sense the darkness pervading from her Big Bro's mind, Rise's affection and hope were genuine. She allowed it in just a little, finding Rise's feelings far preferable to her own. Even if it did give her a strange, and slightly creepy, sense of attraction to Souji. “You better tell it for me too, Senpai,” she said, “or I'll come get him myself.”

Suddenly embarrassed to have all the attention on him, Souji felt himself clam up. And yet, through all the tribulations of the past days, and even of today, he began to feel warm. For the moment, he started to feel like they could actually come out of this alive and intact. Of course, he had done it before. It wasn't going to be a straight fight; these kinds of battles couldn't be. You can't punch out a god, after all.

And yet, the last thing Amaterasu said to him stuck in the forefront of his mind: “All does not center around you.” She had looked at Nanako when she said it. But what did that mean? True, her powers were beyond those of anyone else's, but he – he didn't “control” Izanagi, if Amaterasu was to be believed. He merely channeled the god, and this time it would not help him. Did that mean Nanako's powers were the key, somehow? Or would she be the one to channel a god this time?

He couldn't over-think this or he'd lose the battle in his mind before it even started. He needed to concentrate on the here and now. As they penetrated the dark veil, again calling out for the comrades who had run out ahead of them, he prepared himself. Coma or no, weakened or no, he was still their leader and they all depended on him. They could not afford his self-doubt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And the rest of the gang arrives. I was starting to think I'd have to send a search party. Although I suppose you already encountered one of my 'parties'.”

They emerged from the veil into an environment far different from the sewer-like tunnels they'd traversed. It looked like some kind of tropical island, almost completely covered with sand and surrounded on all sides by the crashing waves of the ocean. There was what looked like a shrine in the distance, weather-beaten and worn.

The rest of the team were standing in the sand, facing away from them, transfixed. In front of them, as tall as the palm trees dotting the island, was a giant of a man, dark-skinned with a wild mane of black hair. He was dressed scantily, like a stereotypical island native, but with a long katana strapped to his waist. At his feet, on her knees with her head down, was Naoto.

“Well?” the giant man said. “Don't be shy. I don't bite. Yet.”

“Guys?” Rise said. She ran to the others, Souji trying to keep up the pace in the wet, shifting sand underfoot. “Guys? You all right?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Yosuke said. “That son of a bitch's  _ huge _ !”

“Not precisely the reaction I was attempting to elicit, but good enough,” the giant said. “I suppose introductions are in order. For those of you too dense to have already guessed, I am Susano-O.”

“You're the one behind all this,” Yukiko said.

“Almost as brilliant as your detective friend,” Susano-O said. “My sister has told you all about me, of course.”

“Did you think using our friends against us was gonna stop us?” Chie said.

“No,” Susano-O said, “just slow you down a little. You arrived well ahead of time, after all, and I needed some more time to prepare.”

“We came in to get our friends that you made come in here!” Teddie said. “You shoulda figured we'd do that, you're so smart!”

“That I made come in here?” He looked at Nanako. “ _ I _ made? Tell me, little green child, do my voice and face seem familiar?”

“Y-yeah,” Nanako said. “I saw you – saw you in my head, when you stopped me from warning everyone Naoto-senpai was gonna run into this world.”

“I stopped you,” Susano-O said. He laughed. “Well, I suppose we can follow that thread for now. So you followed the breadcrumb trail 'I' laid for you. You saved one friend, and defeated another.” He gestured to Naoto. “What now?”

“Now we kick your ass!” Kanji shouted. Several of the others vocalized their agreement.

Susano-O laughed heartily. “You know, if I didn't have to kill you all, I might just keep you around for entertainment. Just the sheer audacity, and the fact that you actually believe what you're saying.” He shook his head. “Absolutely amazing.”

Souji clenched his fists. He was tired and sweaty, the heat in the air getting to him. “You know, another god once thought we'd be pushovers, too. And you know what? We beat her.”

“Ah, yes, Izanami. My father loved her so much he almost destroyed himself trying to be with her. But then he teamed up with you to help you defeat her. That is how you won, not by your audacity, but through the charity of my over-sentimental father. Well, my father will not help you this time, as my sister told you. So whom do you have now? Not my sister; she is far too much an idealist to break her own rules.” He fixed his gaze on Oinari. “Fox, hmm? So you're making good on your pledge to destroy me, Oinari?”

Oinari let loose a weak  _ yip,  _ but bared her teeth and reared back as best she could with her broken leg.

Susano-O tilted his head toward her. “I'm sorry, can you say that again? I'm having difficulty hearing you over the fleas.”

Oinari barked twice more and then growled.

“Oh, you say you can't fight, hmm? That you're just too tired? Well, you told me you would fight at their side, but I didn't want you to, so I took your strength. You don't even have enough left to change your form.” He grinned, more widely than looked natural for his mostly humanoid form. “You're in my realm now. This fight is between them and me. If you wish though, we can do battle later, after I've disposed of these.”

Rise gasped. “You! You're the one that hurt her, aren't you?”

“Let's just say she and I had a 'falling out',” Susano-O said. “No, that's not quite accurate. She betrayed me, and paid the price.” He turned back to Oinari, and his grin fell. “It did not have to be like this. If you did not agree with me, you could have at least stayed neutral. I did not want you to be hurt.”

“She's our friend!” Yosuke said. “We're gonna make you pay for that!”

“Yeah!” Teddie said, pumping his arm into the air.

“Guys, careful,” Taro said. “Remember what Amaterasu said about overconfidence.”

“Yes, yes, my dear sister and her sage advice,” Susano-O said. “So caring, so trustworthy, yes? Why, if she hadn't sent you here, you might never have found me on your own.”

“Wait – what?” Chie said. “What're you talking about? We followed Naoto and Kanji here because you made them come in!”

“And you accepted it all at face value, didn't you?” Susano-O laughed. “She points you in the direction and like good dogs you go. That's what I love about you mortals. Sometimes you're just plain stupid. It will make dominating your race all the easier.”

Listening to Susano-O's voice, his almighty tone, grated on Souji's last frazzled nerve. “Shut up!” Souji shouted. “You've got no right to talk to us! Not after everything you've done!”

“Yes, yes, everything  _ I've _ done,” Susano-O said. “That list is a bit shorter than you think, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, let us begin with the horrors you all viewed on that television screen. My sister dutifully appears afterward and dutifully informs you that I made them, to break your spirit. If she hadn't told you, would you have come to the conclusion that it was me?” Before anyone could sputter a response he continued, “Of course my sister did that. She had to agitate you all, didn't she?”

“No – no, you did it!” Nanako said. “You're a liar! You're the cruel one, not her!”

“Oh I did it? What makes you so sure? Because she  _ told _ you? You refused to trust her when she appeared to be your mother, yet now you place your full faith in her? Is it because she complimented you? Made you feel like the hero by telling you the right things about you and your Shadow?”

“What?” Rise said. “Nanako-chan, what did she say?”

“Nothing,” Nanako said.

“Oh, she heaped on her about how strong her mind was, and that her Shadow came forth to protect her from my – what do you call them? 'Memflies'?” He sighed. “You mortals and your gift for inadequate summarization. And yet, they did what they were supposed to. Every single one of you behaved quite well. Just as I'd hoped.” He looked at Chie. “Aggression.” Then, to Yosuke, “Dismissive.” To Yukiko, “Lovelorn,” and to Rise, “Clingy.” He pointed at Souji and smiled. “Cowardice.”

He then crossed his arms and focused on Kanji. “But you – you have truly been the most fascinating. The experiment. Prototype, if you will. Everything and everyone but yourself, gone from your limited mind. It was actually much too easy, which is why I went for subtlety with the rest. There simply was no challenge with you. For all her lies, my sister was right about one thing – death is a cheat in such a game as this.”

“What? Make sense dammit!” Kanji said.

“Then tell me if these sound familiar. Dizziness, difficulty breathing. Eating strange things like thread and paper cups, no matter how much you tried to make her stop. Always so cold, even on hot days.”

“W-wha...?”

“The human body if a fascinating ecosystem all of itself. Made up of so many ingredients, all working together to for a fully-functional body. Water of course, but other minerals and chemicals...you're truly made of clay, aren't you? And then, disturb that balance, take away one of those things, say,  _ iron _ ...” he grinned widely. “and you just die. Not all at once, of course. Your body just wants to hold on, the pain getting more and more intense, until that useless little heart of yours just gives out.”

“You son of a bitch!” Kanji cried. “You killed my mom! Persona!” Rokuten Maou appeared and blasted Susano-O with Ziodyne. The palm trees nearby exploded into splinters.

Susano-O simply simply stood and accepted it, without even changing his facial expression. “Lightning? Really? You  _ do _ understand that I'm the god of storms, yes?

“Master.” It was Naoto's voice. All eyes turned to her. She stood and walked in front of Susano-O. After a fleeting glance across the team, who could see her eyes were no longer red, she turned to the god. “Master, please. They do not need to die.”

Susano-O shook his head disdainfully. “Really.”

“Master...I...” She took in a deep breath. “No...not master...you – you're...”

Susano-O swung at her, backhanding her and throwing her off her feet into the water. “Nao-tan!” Kanji ran to her, pulling her out of the water. She had gone limp. He dragged her onto the beach and laid her on her back. “Nao-tan, you okay?” She was breathing, but her eyes were closed. “Hey, c'mon. Say something.”

“Stop it!” Yukiko cried.

Susano-O simply shook his head. “Even after all this, they defend you. I suppose you're stronger than I thought. Even separating your soul from your body wasn't enough to turn you for long.” He turned to the others. “You should be proud of her. She fought me every step of the way, to the point where I had to rip her soul out and torture it just to bring her around to my way of thinking. And then after she meets you she turns against me all over again. Such a strong mind, truly the epitome of humanity.” He smiled. “I'll kill her second.”

He grasped the hilt of the sword at his waist and drew it. The team readied themselves, but instead of wielding the weapon against them, he raised it to his eyes, examining it. “This is perhaps my favorite weapon. I called it the 'Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven'. Made from the remains of the Orochi. I'm sure you fools at least know what  _ that _ was. I gave this to my sister once, long ago, to settle an old debt. And then she gave it to humans.” He spat onto the ground, and steam rose from the puddle. “What an insult to such a magnificent blade. It does not deserve to languish in some useless royal's collection. It deserves to be used. So, I reclaimed it.” He pointed it out and examined the cutting edge. “Perfect, absolutely perfect. The perfect weapon to eviscerate one's enemies.”

He glanced down, looking at each of them. He finally focused on Souji. “It was meant to draw blood, not cut grass.” His eyes remaining fixed on Souji, he drew the sword back and flung it.

Time seemed to slow as Souji saw the blade flying toward him. He heard a bark at his feet and looked down. Oinari was there, staring up at her with her one eye. She barked again, and it sounded to him almost like she was saying, “Go!”

He looked back up. The others seemed to be dodging away from the sword in slow motion – everyone but Nanako. She was staring at it, and he then realized that it wasn't flying toward him...

“Go!”

He jumped at Nanako, connecting with her and knocking her to the ground. Time sped back up as the wind was suddenly knocked out of him, and he was thrown backward. He struck one of the palm trees and was instantly dazed.

“Senpai!” he heard Rise scream, or at least he thought it was Rise. Things had become a blur and his hearing was muffled.

He heard several other shouts of “Souji!”, and then one of “Big Bro, no!”

Something rammed into him from the side and his world suddenly exploded into pain. He cried out, and his vision and hearing finally cleared. It was Rise who had slammed into him, grasping his shirt tightly and staring down at it. She then looked up into his face. “Senpai...” Her eyes were wide in shock, and she put her hand to his cheek.

“Rise, wha...” He felt out of breath, the pressure on his chest tremendous.

Nanako was suddenly at his other side. He looked down at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Rather, she seemed to be staring at some silvery white object he didn't recognize. “W-wha...?” he said. “Y-you okay...Little S-sis...?”

“Big Bro...no...”

He glanced at the object at which she was staring and finally realized it was the thing that rammed into him. He put his hands on it and tugged, but it was stuck solidly in place.

The jerking sent a wave of something up his throat and he coughed twice, violently. When he opened his eyes he saw that his hands were spattered with red.

He blinked a few times. Then, following the object with his hands back to his chest, he realized that it stopped there. He looked further down, and saw the red stain growing on his shirt.

“S-Senpai...it's...it's not...”

He couldn't look up at her. Somehow this all didn't seem real. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. He just felt tired, even more so than before. And yet, he knew that the red on his shirt was his own blood. He was sure there wasn't too much to spare. There was only one thing his foggy brain could think to say: “This...isn't good.”


	22. Sacrifices

Nanako finally looked up into his face, her own sodden with tears. She was shaking, and started babbling wordlessly. She put her hands on the sword. “N-no...” Souji said, trying to push her away, but his strength was quickly fading. The sword started to glow under her touch, bringing a second wave of pain and another cry from him.

“N-Nanako-chan, stop...” Rise said, trying to take Nanako's hands off the blade, but it was as if they were welded to it. “You're...you're hurting him...”

Nanako could feel it. She could feel everything Souji felt: his body dying, his being powerless to stop it. He could feel his arms, his legs, his heart all slipping away. He tasted the blood from his punctured lung. He couldn't breathe. She felt it too, as if it were all her own. It brought back memories and nightmares of a hospital room, of beeping devices and rapid breaths. Of her own body refusing to breathe anymore. Of falling, falling further, being swallowed by the darkness, the shadows consuming her. Of being scared, so scared, because in the end she would be utterly alone. Always alone. These were all the things Souji was feeling. He was terrified, because he did not want to go. He had promised her he would not let her feel scared again. Now she was about to lose him once again, and this time for good. If that happened, if she let him slip away, no amount of hope or prayer would bring her beloved Big Bro back.

She wasn't going to let that happen. Amaterasu told her to watch over him, and she'd already failed at that. Nanako felt him slip a little further away, his soul losing its grip on his life, and squeaked. “I – I can feel....feel him – dying...I'm not gonna let him.” She opened her eyes and stared straight into Souji's. “You hear me? I'm not gonna let you!” She closed her eyes again and concentrated, trying to distract herself from feeling his death. She simply couldn't disconnect, and every second an eternity, she felt his death through his own heart. It felt so familiar to her, and that hurt more than anything else. She felt dying all over again. Not if she could help it.

“Rise, Nanako-chan, move!” Rise looked at Yukiko behind her, and moved aside just in time for Yukiko's Persona to appear and cast Diarahan. The spell flashed at the hilt of the sword, but vanished. Souji's head jerked back and he felt a little of his strength returning, but that only served to increase the pain. He tried to beg them to stop, but couldn't make the words come to him.

“It's not working!” Yukiko said.

“Pull the sword out!” Yosuke said.

“No!” Chie said. “That could kill him!”

“He's already...already...” Teddie started. “Sensei, no!”

“He's bleeding out,” Ryotaro said. He glanced from Susano-O, who winked at him, to Souji. “I – I don't think there's anything we can do.”

“No,” Margaret said. “It cannot – cannot end like this.” She turned to Oinari. “Can't you do something?”

Oinari appeared to be paying her no attention. She was staring at Susano-O, a complex, unreadable set of emotions flashing across her furry face.

“No!” Taro shouted. He spun on Susano-O. “What do you want from us?”

“I thought it was obvious,” Susano-O said. “I want you to die. Slowly, painfully. This seems to be working out well so far.”

Taro wanted to summon every Persona he had, even though they were few, but something told him it would do no good. He knew that, if they were to have any hope, they would all have to attack him at once. And yet, everyone was distracted by Souji. Could he pull them away from their – from  _ his _ – dying friend, to launch what was probably a hopeless attack, while Souji died alone and ignored?

But why wasn't Susano-O attacking? For what was not the first time, he had no idea what to do.

Nanako tried to focus on the others, who had formed a veritable wall between them and Susano-O, who himself seemed to be simply watching. Each one of them was horrified, or shocked, all on the verge of tears if they were not already flowing. Sharing their feelings wasn't helpful.

If only she knew what to do, how to really use this power she'd been given, she knew she could do it. She had to figure it out, and she knew she only had seconds. A minute at most. She tried the first thing she could think of: sending some of her life force into him, through the wound, sustaining him long enough to find a way to heal his body. Souji cried out, and she felt his heart, damaged by the giant blade, flutter for a moment, slicing itself worse against the razor sharp edge of the blade.

It wasn't working. As before, she could hear people's thoughts, but couldn't force herself into theirs. She was running out of time, and she couldn't stop it. Though her eyes were closed, she could see in her mind's eye his hands going slack and releasing the blade, falling limp to his sides.

Kanji, still trying to awaken Naoto, could see what was happening. “No, can't be...” He turned back to Naoto, lying in the sand. "C'mon, Nao-tan, I gotta get you where it's safe.” He slipped his arms through the sand underneath her and lifted her. He broke into a run, keeping an eye on Susano-O, who was standing with his arms crossed, watching Souji with a smug, self-satisfied smirk.

She started to stir as he pulled her further away from Susano-O. “Stop...stop it...”

“Can't stop,” Kanji said. “Gotta get you away from him.”

Her eyes fluttered open. “K-Kanji?”

“Nao-tan!” he said. “You all right?”

“No,” she said, her voice dry. “He...killed him.”

“He's not dead, I don't think,” Kanji said. “Uh, yet.”

“We have to...have to...stop him...”

“We will,” Kanji said. He set her on the ground. She tried to stand, but quickly fell to her knees. “Hey, you gonna be all right?”

“Just need to...get my strength back,” she said. “I think...my mind's back. He's so strong, Kanji. I – I tried...”

“You beat him,” Kanji said. “You didn't let him control you. Just stay here, okay?”

“No...” Rise said, her throat starting to close. She took Souji's slack hands. They were ice cold. She could feel him slipping away as well, though for her the feeling was not as overpowering as with Nanako. His eyes were starting to roll back, but she slapped his cheek and turned his head to face her. “Senpai, you – you stay awake, you hear me? Don't you dare close your eyes! You stay with me!”

“Rise,” Souji said, his jaw slack and his voice gone. “I'm sorry, I never...never told...told you...”

“Senpai, I'm here with you now. Just hang on. Nanako's gonna...gonna...” She looked up at Nanako, who was shaking. Her knuckles were white and fingers red for how hard she was grasping the blade, blood trickling from her fingers where the edge was cutting into them. “You're gonna...take me to America, right?”

Souji looked into her eyes. He felt an intense giddiness wash over him, and if not for the sadness on Rise's face, on everyone's faces, he would laugh out loud. He glanced past them, but could no longer see Susano-O. In his place was a bright light, like the one at the top of the tunnel of his mind, but growing rapidly. There was warmth there. He felt so cold. He wanted to be warm.

“Look at me!” He felt Rise's hand grasp his face and turn it back to hers. “Don't you go, you hear me? You stay with me!” She turned to the others still standing there and staring. “Somebody  _ do _ something, for God's sake!”

Teddie, Yukiko, and Yosuke called out their Personas at once, sending every healing spell they could muster at Souji. However, each spell seemed to be drawn to the sword's hilt, causing the blade to glow even more brightly. Souji groaned, his eyes rolling back again. Once more his consciousness returned, but so did the pain. He reflexively drew in one shallow breath that felt stuck in his chest.

“It's not working!” Yukiko cried, half hysterical. “Rise-chan, Nanako-chan, get out of the way!”

“Stop it!” Nanako shouted. “I can...I can do this...I  _ have  _ to do this! This is what I was meant to do!”

“Souji...” Rise said, her face soaked with tears and snot. She cupped his face in both hands. “Please don't...please don't leave me.”

Susano-O, who had been watching the entire scene passively with only a slight smile of amusement curling his lips upward, scoffed.

Souji turned his eyes from the approaching light back to her, but finding it almost impossibly difficult to do so. He felt some liquid dribble from his mouth, blood or saliva he couldn't be sure, but he couldn't find the strength to swallow it down. He was dying. There was no question about it, nothing to be done. The light would take him, and he'd be gone to wherever it was people went when life ended. He didn't want to leave. His face felt cold, but something hot rolled down both his cheeks. He moved his lips, but could make no sound come out. He wanted to say he was sorry, to tell Rise, Nanako, everyone, that he loved them, but he wouldn't have the chance. He realized that he had already let out his last breath, and could no longer cling onto consciousness.

“Souji, please just hang on. Please – please hang on.” He didn't know who said it, couldn't even pick their voices out from each other any more.

_ Please, everyone,  _ he thought, willing his message to them even if they could not hear it.  _ Please, don't give up. Fight for yourselves, for everyone. _ He couldn't even see them now, the light was so bright and so close. He could only see Rise before him, the sheer anguish on her face tearing at his already damaged heart. He looked into her eyes one last time, focusing the last of his willpower on keeping his heavy eyelids open.

To Rise he looked sorrowful. She could not even spare the thought to image what about. All she could think about was that the one man she'd loved for so long, whose happiness had so driven her that she'd never truly expressed that love until such a short time ago, was dying before her and she couldn't do a damn thing about it. Nobody could, not even Nanako, who was still gripping the sword and pressing her head into his shoulder.

Forcing himself to say awake for just one second longer, Souji could see Rise's face, her eyes wet and raw from crying, and her upper lip coated with something wet, maybe snot. It was something he had never wanted to see - her crying over him, not the snot, although that thought strangely made him want to chuckle just a little. It hurt when he did so and he heard a gurgling from his own chest, the last little bit of air escaping from his damaged lungs. From the increased horror on Rise's face she must have thought it to be some kind of death rattle. And yet, that was what it was, wasn't it? He tried to raise a hand to her face, but his arms felt impossibly weighty. She must have seen what he was trying to do and lifted both his hands, kissing them and pressing them to her cheeks. They tingled, but he could still feel her warmth.

He wanted to tell her to move on, to be happy, but he couldn't. His voice was done. His breath was done. There was nothing left. The light was just beyond her now, and after what felt like forever, it overtook her.

His world went bright, and then dark. His head slumped forward onto his chest, and rolled to the left. For a moment Rise thought he was looking at Nanako. She, however, was still not looking at him. Her eyes were focused on his wound, which had spilled so much of his own blood from his heart into his shirt.

His head finally slumped, and he went perfectly still. Rise knew immediately: he was gone.

“No...no...please...” she cradled his head in her hand, and it rolled limply toward her. His eyelids hadn't closed completely and she could see the whites of his eyes in the slivers between them. She felt a wave of nausea and tried to suppress it. “No...” she cried freely, leaning forward and pressing his face into her chest. She pulled his head away again, kissed his forehead, and touched it to her own. “Souji...." She threw her head back and cried out, every bit of her uncontrollable anguish pouring out of her.

Yukiko sank to her knees, followed by Margaret, then Teddie, and then finally Chie.

“No...” Chie said. “No...it can't end like this...not after everything we've been through.”

“It's not – it's not over yet...” Nanako murmured, gazing up into his slack face. “I won't let you...can't let you go...”

Yosuke tried to take a step toward him but stumbled onto his behind. He remained there only for a second before he jumped back up and spun on Susano-O. “God damn you! God  _ damn _ you!”

“Just when I thought you'd forgotten I was here,” Susano-O said. “So who is next?”

“God dammit...” Kanji said. “God dammit!” He spun around. “You're gonna pay, you murdering son of a bitch!”

“Go ahead,” Susano-O said, looking almost bored. “Whatever you do now doesn't matter in the slightest. Either way, I win. Just make it interesting, will you?”

Kanji cried out and summoned Rokuten Maou, blasting Susano-O with every bit of strength be could pour into his Primal Force attack. Susano-O's clothing and hair rippled, but he was otherwise unaffected. “Naoto, help me with him!” Kanji shouted, glancing at her. She was still on her knees, staring at the ground, having apparently not moved a centimeter.

Ryotaro put himself between Nanako and the battle, gun in hand. His face was slack, but he touched Nanako's shoulder with a steady hand. “Nanako, I'm sorry. But we can't give up. We have to do this, for him.”

“No,” Nanako said.

“Nanako...”

“ _ No! _ ” There was a flash of bright white from Souji's body, and both Rise and Ryotaro were thrown away from her. When the light faded they could see Nanako's hands had moved to his shoulders. She was pressing her forehead into his, forcing it back against the tree trunk.

“Nanako-chan?” Rise ran back over to her, but struck some kind of invisible shield and was again thrown away.

Nanako's skin started to glow white and what looked like steam started rising from both it and Souji's body. It filled the air around them until it hit some invisible, round shell, staining it until it was solid, opaque white, like a giant eggshell. Rise tried to press into it. It was warm and felt almost alive, but as solid and hard as stone. Only the hilt of Susano-O's sword, and the palm tree against which Souji had been pinned, stuck out from it.

Yosuke cried out and slammed into the shell, bringing Rise's attention back.

“Yosuke!” Rise said.

“Please tell me it won't all be this tedious,” Susano-O said. “You're supposed to be putting on a show.”

“Ow,” Yosuke replied. “Rise-chan, we could really use your help!” She turned back to the others as Yosuke pushed himself up and returned to them. They were throwing everything they could at the god, the air above them crowded with Personas, but nothing seemed to affect him. He appeared blasé, retaliating only once after letting out a yawn.

Of course – she had a job to do. Even if...even if... She summoned Kanzeon and tried to take stock of the situation, and it was all she could do to keep from sinking further into despair. Susano-O's power was on the level of Izanami's, and the team's was nowhere near where it once was. Naoto, almost deathly still as she sat on the ground, seemed to have almost none at all. Her eyes burned from the tears, and she was only glad she didn't need them with Kanzeon as her eyes and ears. “ _ Guys, you gotta...gotta hit it with everything you got,”  _ she said. “ _ You gotta do it – for Souji-senpai.” _

“Thanks for the heads-up!” Chie barked.

“Margaret,” Taro said just as Kunino-sagiri vanished, “it'd really help if we could use those Personas.” He pointed to the Compendium.

Releasing Dominion after another futile attack, Margaret snapped, “I have tried!”

“Just try again!”

She brought the Compendium to her chest as Taro and Yukiko closed the gap in front of her. She dug her perfectly-manicured nails in between the pages and tried to pry it open, but her fingers quickly slipped free, one nail snapping off as it got stuck inside. “I – I can't... I'm still not...” Suddenly the book jumped from her hands, knocking Taro out of its way, and flew open. “What?” The pages started flipping on their own, back and forth. Behind them there was a hum, then a  _ whump _ , and finally a crash. They looked back to see that the hilt of Susano-O's sword had fallen to the ground, the blade sheared off. The palm tree, likewise, had fallen behind the shell, its trunk sliced smoothly and cleanly.

Rise could sense brief surprise from Susano-O, but he seemed to recover quickly. “Well then,” he said, “have anything else?”

Cards started flying from between the Compendium's pages. “Margaret, you did it!” Taro shouted. He snatched one out of the air, and gasped when he saw the face.  _ Izanagi? _ he thought. As soon as he'd touched it, he could feel it tell him its repertoire. This wasn't Souji's most powerful Persona, Izanagi-No-Okami; it was his first one, and his weakest. While he was trying to make sense of this, the card was immediately torn from his fingers and flew toward the shell around Nanako. Several other cards emerged from the book and were quickly absorbed into it as well, as the pages continued flipping. “What are they doing?”

“She's summoning them,” Margaret said. “She –  _ Nanako-san _ opened the Compendium!”

“I thought humans couldn't do that!” Taro said.

“They cannot!” Margaret said. “But perhaps we can use them!” She snatched one card from the air, and without even looking at it, shouted, “Oberon!” A slender, girlish-figured man with butterfly wings appeared and swiped his sword once at Susano-O, before the card was yanked away and he vanished. She grabbed another card. “Ippon-Datara!”

Taro wasn't sure that this was accomplishing anything, but they had nothing to lose anymore. He followed Margaret's lead, snatching card after card and attacking with each one. “Obariyon! High Pixie! Queen Mab! Nidhoggr!”

All attacks were as ineffective as before, but Susano-O had stopped even his occasional retaliatory strikes. His expression had changed as well, from boredom to curiosity. He was staring at the shell that had formed around Nanako, and the cards flying from the Compendium toward her. “No, no no – I see what you are trying to do, little one. I will not allow it!” He raised his hand up, lightning crackling around it.

Rise gasped. “ _ No! He's gonna attack Nanako-chan! Someone help her!” _

Susano-O half-grinned and drew his hand back. What looked like a ball of electricity was gathering in his palm. “I'll crack that shell, and smash the yolk inside.”

“Like hell you will!” Yukiko cast Agidyne at him. A mass of fire exploded before him, torching the trees at either side.

When it dissipated he was unharmed, and undeterred. Bolts of lightning were starting to crawl down his arm. “When I'm finished with her, I will repay you for that.”

“Then see if you can bear this!” Teddie cast Bufudyne on him twice, sealing his giant form in ice. “Chie-chan, now!”

Chie cast God's Hand, and a giant hand descended upon him, smashing the ice, but then vanishing when it struck his head.

“A little better,” Susano-O scoffed.

“Naoto!” Kanji shouted, “C'mon!” He glanced back at her. “We need you!” She was still sitting, still staring down. “We're gonna die if you don't help us!”

“Teddie and Chie-san have the right idea,” Taro said. “We need to combine our attacks!” He doubted it would help, but they had few other options.

All who were standing summoned their Personas simultaneously, Taro and Margaret using the first ones they could snatch from overhead. They filled the air with a beyond-lethal combination of elemental, almighty, and physical attacks that, were they directed at anything they'd ever encountered before, would have disintegrated their opponent without a trace.

And yet when the attack was finished, when their collective mental energy had been depleted, Susano-O remained, with only rivulets of smoke rising from his body. The two trees beside him had been reduced to cinders, spearing up from the ground. “Too bad,” he said, the lightning in his hand doubling in intensity, “you fail.”

“No, no, no! It didn't do anything! We're – we're  _ doomed _ !” Teddie cried.

“Stop that!” Kanji said. “We gotta keep trying!” However, even Taro and Margaret had stopped trying to take the Persona cards as they fluttered away.

“I don't know – I don't think I've got any left,” Chie said, breathing heavily. “Fox, we need help!”

Oinari was lying on the ground, her chest expanding and contracting rapidly. She was staring at the white shell, paying no attention to anything else. Had even  _ she _ given up? “ _ Guys, c'mon, keep it together,” _ Rise said, her voice low and quivering. “ _ This can't – this can't be it. There's gotta be something else.” _ Yet, she  _ knew _ there was nothing else. Teddie was right, this was the end. Maybe, if they'd had Souji's help, they could have had a hope, but he was gone. For the second time in so many days, she was sure she was going to die. This time, she knew it would really happen. The only, however slight, consolation she could take was that they would all be together in the afterlife.  _ If I'd just been stronger _ , she thought.  _ If I'd just...just found something... _

“No...”

It was Naoto's voice, the last that Rise had expected to hear. She'd almost forgotten Naoto was there. Rise could barely detect any strength from her, and she still was not moving. “No...no...I can't let this be...”

“ _ Naoto-kun,”  _ Rise said, sadly. In these, her last moments, she felt true remorse for the hatred she had piled upon Naoto over the past few days, especially given what she'd learned of how Naoto had been controlled and how hard she had fought to break free. “ _ Naoto-kun, I'm so sorry. Please....” _

“No!” Naoto cried, and for a moment Rise thought it was in response to her. However, Naoto leaped to her feet, running until she was between Susano-O and the others, and then she cried, “Persona!” Yamato-Takeru emerged just as Susano-O threw his lightning ball at them. It immediately struck her Persona, and she screamed.

She could feel every fiber of her being tearing apart as she absorbed the full strength of the deadly blast, but she did not give in. She could never give in, not again. She would fight him with every last ounce of strength she had. She would redeem herself, to death if needed.

“What do you think you're doing, my pet?” Susano-O said. “Protecting a little girl and a corpse?” He jerked his hand forward, the lightning's intensity growing.

“Nao-tan!” Kanji cried.

Naoto held on. “Stay back!” She knew that, if she failed, Kanji would die. Nanako would die. They all would die, as would any hope of protecting the world from Susano-O and his kind. She willed herself to stand straight and true, forcing her Persona to remain material and continue absorbing the lightning, even when she began to feel as if her innards had burst into flame. She croaked, “I...am....not...your...pet!”

“Is this show of defiance really necessary?”

She had little left. Seconds, at most, and she would be finished. But she had to hold on until the energy of the blast disappeared. She had one more thing she had to think, one more thing she had to say. She had to triumph. “You...know...I...beat...you!”

For the first time, Susano-O's smug expression changed. He frowned, his eyes widening. “What - what did you say?”

“You...couldn't...break...me!” Naoto cried. Susano-O's eyes widened in shock and he dropped his arm, adding no more fuel to the energies tearing at Naoto and her Persona. Then she screamed once more as Yamato-Takeru, manifestation of her very soul, shattered and her body took the full strength of what remained of Susano-O's attack. She cried out a final time as the lightning dissipated, and then she was silent.

Her arms fell to her side.

Her head fell to her chest.

Her body fell to the sand.

She had intended to pay the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Susano-O's attack, and in that she had succeeded. In her one act, her final act, she had proven her loyalty.

Naoto Shirogane died protecting those she loved.

“ _ No!” _ Kanji screamed, and ran to her body. It was hot to his touch, almost burning, but he pulled her to his chest anyway. She was not moving, not breathing. “C'mon, say something.” He tapped her cheek. “C'mon, Nao-tan, you're okay. You gotta be. Just breathe.” He laid her back on the ground, pulled her mouth open, and breathed into it. “Come on!” He tried again, but it felt as if her lungs were filled with iron. Her chest would not expand no matter how hard he breathed into her.

Susano-O roared and pounded his fist into the remains of the tree at his right. “No!” He turned and punched the other stump, uprooting it and sending it flying into the ocean. “No! No mortal can beat me!  _ I _ beat  _ you _ ! I  _ controlled  _ you! You cannot claim otherwise!”

“Nao-chan,” Teddie said. “First Senpai, now Nao-chan. What're we gonna do?”

“I don't...I don't know,” Taro said. He was still in awe of the sheer power Naoto seemed to have absorbed, but in the end it had still consumed her.

“No,” Kanji said. “No...please no...” He pulled her close to his chest. For the first time in a long time there was no anger. There was only grief. When he opened his eyes again he could swear he saw threads of white rising from her body, and then flowing toward the white shell where Nanako had been, but it must have been his imagination.

“ _ No!”  _ Rise cried, once she could finally break through the wall of shock. “ _ She's...she's dead! He killed her! He's picking us off one by one!”  _ She knew they had to do something, that they couldn't let Naoto's sacrifice be for nothing. And yet, she had no idea what that was. Susano-O, in his temper tantrum, appeared more angry than winded, and even if they could each somehow hold up to his attacks like Naoto did, he would eventually kill them all.

“You give yourself too much credit!” shouted Susano-O. “She – she just got in my way! Just the same as your beloved 'leader', my father's chosen. Just the same as you  _ all _ are!”

Susano-O summoned an ice attack, the likes of which Rise hadn't seen since the one time Souji had used Niflheim against Izanami's fog-fiend, Ameno-sagiri. Margaret just barely managed to summon Hachiman and protect the team with a string of Makarakarns. “Come on!” Susano-O shouted. “Fight me like true warriors!”

“Shut up,” Kanji said, rising from Naoto's body and turning back to him. “Shut up. Shut up shut up  _ shut up SHUT UP _ !” He charged Susano-O. “Persona!” The red golem of Kanji's Persona appeared above him and swung its flame sword at Susano-O. Susano-O dismissed the attack and kicked him, sending him flying.

“Kanji-kun!” shouted Yukiko.

Taro turned to Margaret. The Compendium's pages were still flipping, but nothing was coming out. “Is that it?” he said.

“I don't...” Margaret started, but then the book slammed shut just as one final card emerged. She grabbed it, feeling its name. “Izana...” she started, but was interrupted as it was torn from her grip and flew into the white shell behind her.

Suddenly the shell exploded outward. Kanji, just barely recovering from Susano-O's kick, rolled on the ground and over Naoto's body, trying to protect it from whatever was happening, but the only thing he felt from it was a ray of warmth, like sunshine.

“Nanako!” Ryotaro shouted. He ran back toward her even before the light had faded. What he saw when it did made him skid to a stop in the loose sand, stumbling to the ground.

Where the shell had been stood Nanako, Souji's body lying peacefully on the ground at her feet with no trace of injury. The blade in his chest was gone. Both of them were glowing blue. He was about to reach out to her, but when he looked up at her face he stopped. She looked stony, focused, despite the tears that soaked her cheeks, Her eyes were closed. “Nanako?”

Nanako raised a hand before her, palm up. A red, shining rectangle spun in her hand. It was the approximate size and shape of a Persona card, but was completely featureless. She squeezed her hand shut, crushing the card, and immediately her hair and clothing started flapping in the wind that was generated from the remains.

A figure rose from her body, which they recognized as Seraph. And then suddenly it changed, growing, its robes filling out, becoming rigid, and changing from white to gold. Tendrils of silver snaked down the legs and wrapped around the feet, forming into sandals with thin, gleaming spikes at the toes, and solid shin armor adorned with circles, lines bisecting each at the vertical and horizontal, forming crosses within the circles. Its arms became gauntlets, and its hair swirled about its face, becoming a silver and gold mask that seemed to split at the crown, forming two semicircular portions of what appeared to be a halo behind its head. Two pairs of white feathered wings flapped at its back. It wielded a spear, which it held over its head as if in a triumphant cheer.

“ _ N-Nanako-chan?” _ Rise said.

“ _ I am Zerachiel,” _ the creature said, its voice booming, but before it could finish its declaration Nanako threw her hands to the sky. The figure started to stretch first from the feet, and then the torso and wings, and finally the head and arms, back down to Nanako, a cyclone of white, silver, and gold swirling above her. She opened her mouth and it was drawn in, as if she were drinking the Persona's remains.

“What the hell?” Yosuke said.

“Guys, I don't – is this good?” Chie said.

“I...am not...certain,” Margaret said.

Teddie screamed and hid behind her. “She's absorbing it! Like Adachi did with the Shadows!”

As Nanako drew in the last bit of the Persona she let out a sharp cry, and then dropped both her arms and her head. The god of storms was staring at her, any hint of amusement completely gone form his countenance.

She rose into the air. The sand on which she had stood was smoking, and Rise gasped as she saw it had melted into glass the exact shape and size of her shoe prints. “ _ I  _ am Zerachiel, the guardian of Earth!” Nanako called, her voice filling the tiny island. She lifted her face, and they finally could see her eyes: white, glowing. Trained directly at Susano-O. “Your cruelty ends now!” She thrust a hand toward the god. Some attack that was too fast for even Rise to see struck the god, and for the first time he staggered.

“Nanako-chan!” Yukiko cried.

Nanako turned to her, and Yukiko gasped when she saw the girl's eyes again. Flames were now rising from them, licking her eyebrows, though not consuming them. “Stay back, everyone. I have to do this.” She turned back to Susano-O. “I was  _ meant  _ to do this.”

“So now you see!” Susano-O called out toward the sky. “This is what awaits us, my sister, unless I end this here and now!” He reached behind him and pulled out another sword. This one was not the elegant, bejeweled blade which had taken Souji's life. It was a single piece, hilt and blade together, with seven barbed offshoots down its length. “You destroyed my sword. I  _ liked _ that sword. This is my old one, which I called 'Slash of Heavenly Wings'.” He swiped it at her, cleanly slicing the arm she brought up to shield her face. Blood started to drip from the wound, but it quickly healed, leaving only a dark streak on her sleeve.

“You fail,” Nanako retorted with a sneer.

“Well, you've certainly tapped into your hidden power, haven't you?”

“I'm more than human now,” Nanako said. “I am the True Zero, the Nexus of All. It is my duty to defend Earth from those who would harm its people.”

“That...t-that...” stuttered Teddie, “that doesn't sound like Nana-chan at all!”

“She is no longer Nanako-san,” Margaret said. “I did not think such a thing was possible.”

“Well we're the experts of impossible,” Yosuke said flatly, staring at Nanako/Zerachiel in utter disbelief.

“She fused every single Persona into one,” Margaret said. “And then she absorbed it into herself.”

“ _ It's happened before,” _ Rise said. “ _ We've seen people absorb Shadows before. And Memflies.” _

“Yeah,” Taro said. He'd had intimate, personal experience with the former.

“If Personas are really just Shadows, then this is the same thing, isn't it?” Yukiko said.

“But she absorbed Naoto too!” Kanji said.

“ _ What?” _ said Rise.

“I – I saw...When Naoto...after she died, I saw...I think it was her soul going into Nanako-chan.”

“What?” Chie said “Are you ser...?”

She was interrupted by an explosion of sound, and the giant sword embedding itself into the ground within centimeters of her. She screamed and fell to the ground.

“ _ Chie!” _ Rise shouted.

Yosuke helped her up, checking her for injuries. “I'm...okay, I think!”

“You sure?” asked Yosuke.

“All of you stay out of the way!” Nanako shouted, with her and Susano-O's arms locked in a lopsided, highly-unbalanced grapple. Yet, despite his far greater size, she seemed to be holding him in check. “I can't fight him and watch out for you at the same time!”

“ _ Everyone get back!”  _ Rise said. “ _ There's nothing we can do to help her!” _

Kanji grabbed Teddie and dragged him back toward the veil through which they'd first entered this place. “Don't let him use us against her!”

“Oh believe me,” Susano-O said, his voice barely strained, “I have no need to use you. I am more than capable of handling this 'guardian'.” He stared into Nanako's eyes. “Such fire in your eyes.” He chuckled. “If runaway emotions were true power, you humans would have long ago wiped out the gods.” He gritted his teeth and spread his arms apart, easily breaking Nanako's grip.

Nanako ducked, then catapulted herself into Susano-O's midsection. She struck it hard, the rock-solid abs giving no quarter as she pounded it repeatedly. Susano-O grabbed her hair, yanked her head back, and slapped her hard across the face. She cried out, eliciting a scream from the others, before Susano-O kicked swiftly upward, striking the small of her back and sending her up into the air.

Nanako realized at that moment that, while she had power, she still didn't know what to do with it. She hadn't actually been hurt that she knew, at least not an injury that lasted more than a second, but Susano-O was still shrugging off her own attacks. She realized that, “True Zero” or not, she may have bitten off more than she could chew – just as Susano-O's fist connected with her jaw.

As he hit her she spun around, grabbing his wrist. Dazed from his blow, she had a hard time focusing, but as she looked down at the meaty part of his arm, she wished she had the large knife she – her Shadow – had tried to use on her Big Bro.

And then she had it in her hand, gleaming and sharp, as if it had always been there. Wasting no time wondering on the  _ how _ of its presence, she stabbed his arm, the blade passing straight through the meat to the other side. Susano-O roared as she pulled the knife toward her, yanking it hard at the very end and, releasing her grip on his arm, pulling it free as she landed on the sand and rolled back onto her feet.

Susano-O stared at his left arm in disbelief. Nanako had managed to split it from the elbow through the wrist and hand, separating the end of his arm into one hand with three fingers, and another with two.

“Oh my God!” Chie said. “Did you see that?”

“I think I'm gonna be sick,” Teddie gurgled.

“ _ She hurt him!”  _ Rise said, fighting her own disbelief. Nanako was actually  _ winning _ . “ _ Nanako-chan, you can do this!” _

Susano-O turned to Nanako, a line of drool dangling from his quivering lower lip. “You – you...you animal. You dumb...filthy...stupid... _ rodent _ !” He grasped the palm tree trunk he had uprooted in his earlier tantrum and swung it at Nanako. She guarded but the blow threw her off her feet and into the salty water.

“Nanako!” shouted Ryotaro.

Susano-O looked down at his left arm, the two halves hanging loose and dripping with clear blue liquid. He grasped his elbow in his right hand and slid it down toward his hand, squeezing the two parts back together. When he withdrew his right hand the arm was back in one piece, but a wound running the length of his arm and through his left palm remained.

Suddenly there was another explosion, and a geyser shot upward from the water. Nanako emerged, suspended by the rising column of water. “Have a drink!” She pointed at Susano-O, and the water turned sideways, ramming into him with the force of a speeding train.

He held his hands out and the water flowed around him, filling a sphere. Nanako dropped her hands. “How can you humans claim to be intelligent?” Susano-O said. “I  _ created _ this water!”

“Then enjoy it,” Nanako said calmly. She clapped her hands together, and bubbles started to appear in the water sphere. Suddenly it burst into steam, the force of it throwing the team to the ground and filling the air with a heavy mist.

“ _ I don't – I don't believe this!” _ Rise said, straining to stay upright and keep her Persona out. She checked her readings again, thinking she had to have been mistaken. But no, it was correct, as impossible as it seemed. “ _ Her power level just shot up beyond anything I've ever seen! Not even Izanami was this powerful!” _

As the steam cleared they could see Susano-O crouched on the ground, coated with a fine layer of white crystals. He was panting heavily. “So – so  _ that's _ how you want it?” He pushed himself to his feet. “This has been your game all along, hasn't it?” He reached out his hand and his sword flew into it. In a motion to fast for anyone to see, he was in the water before Nanako, his sword at her neck.

_ In _ her neck.

He had sliced halfway into it. One of the barbs was sunken deep into her flesh.

“ _ Nanako-chan! No!”  _ Rise cried.

“What happened? I can't see!” Yosuke said.

Nanako blinked. Susano-O was staring into her face, his expression one of confusion. He sneered and tried tugging the blade one way and another, but it seemed trapped where it was, as if Nanako's flesh had taken possession of it. She reached up and grabbed the blade, and it vanished, the sudden loss of resistance throwing Susano-O off-balance. She kicked upward but he caught her foot in one hand, grabbed her thigh with the other, and raised her over her head and slammed her into the sand.

Yukiko and Rise screamed in horror. “Nanako! Leave her alone you piece of shit!” Ryotaro cried out and emptied his gun into Susano-O, who dismissively swiped the bullets away. As he did so, the sand beneath the team started to quiver, water bubbling up from underneath.

“Quicksand!” Chie shouted as they all started to sink.

“No way!” Teddie said, casting Mabufudyne at the ground. The quivering immediately stopped, the sand and water crystallizing. He tugged at his feet and they broke back through to the surface. The others helped each other get free. Rise dismissed Kanzeon as Taro helped extract her from the frozen sand.

Susano-O growled in frustration, but his growl was cut short. He looked down at his abdomen and saw a gigantic blade, a knife, the same one that had sliced his arm in half, piercing his belly. He looked at Nanako, her hands gripping the handle tightly. She thrust forward and twisted, and Susano-O cried out in pain, releasing her foot and collapsing to the ground.

The sky started to grow dark, clouds swirling and lightning flashing all around. Nanako jumped into the air and came down upon the knife's handle, plunging it deeper. Susano-O kicked her away and tried to push himself to his feet, dragging the point of the blade through the sand behind him, all the while leaking blue fluid onto it.

“You – you think you're – winning, don't you?” Susano-O asked, panting heavily. He stumbled toward her, pressing his hands to either side of the blade. He turned his hands to the side, snapping off the blade just underneath his skin, and dropping the rest of it to the ground. He trudged toward her, his footsteps heavy, and reached down. She tried to dodge but his speed suddenly increased and she found herself suspended in the air, his hand tightly clamped around her throat.

She didn't know how he had surprised her so, but already she could feel herself beginning to black out. His thumbs were digging into her windpipe, and she was sure that, within seconds, it would snap. She had fought him, and she thought she'd been winning, but now it looked like she was done. She clawed at his arms, tearing chunks of god-flesh away, but his grip did not falter.

“You still...still...think like a human,” Susano-O said, his breath still heavy. “So, like your friends, you...will die now.”

Nanako tore into his arms until she reached bone, but nothing she did made any difference. Consciousness was starting to slip, and she poured everything she could into just pulling his hands apart, relieving the pressure on her throat, staying alive for just a moment longer. She couldn't let Susano-O win like this.  _ No, no, I can't...not gonna let it...end like this...Big Bro...help... _

_ Little Sis... _

She stopped struggling for a moment, and his grip tightened further. Was she dying? She could swear she'd heard his voice.

_ I'm here, Little Sis. _

_ Big Bro...? _

_ And I as well, Nanako-chan. _

“N-Naoto...senpai?” she crackled.

“Never...fear,” Susano-O said, still panting, “you will be...with my little pet soon.” He brought her close to his face. “I will watch this...one's eyes as you fail, dear sister.”

_ Nanako-chan, aim for his throat! _

_ I can't! _ Nanako thought.  _ He's breaking my neck! I can't even...even think anymore! _

_ You've got our strength, Little Sis. We'll protect you. Do it now! _

Taking a leap of faith, Nanako released her comparatively tiny grip on Susano-O's wrists. “Yes, that's it,” Susano-O said. “Just let it happen...”

She pointed her fingers forward and thrust her arms upward. Her fingers struck the soft spot at the base of Susano-O's Adam's apple and there was a snap.

Susano-O's hands released her throat immediately and they both fell, Susano-O scrabbling at his throat and gasping for air. Nanako rolled away from him, yelping out when her hands struck the sand. Pushing off the ground she looked at them, and as her vision cleared she could see the fingers of both hands were bent at unnatural angles. She gritted her teeth and shook her hands. When she was finished, the fingers were straightened, though an ache remained.

_ Watch out! _

She spun around just as Susano-O thrust the remains of her own giant knife at her. She dodged just in time for it to pass under her arm. She wrapped her arm around it and grasped it in both hands.

Susano-O roared and swung it, lifting Nanako off her feet. However, she held tightly to it, and when he slammed her back into the ground she braced herself, allowing her feet to sink into the sand. She used that as leverage and thrust her hand into the wound in his belly, forcing that portion of the knife blade out, and then pulling Susano-O off his feet. She threw him back into the ground, ripped the knife from his grip, and thrust it into his chest above the first wound.

His hands came up and grasped the knife just as the end struck his chest. “No you don't!” Nanako said.  _ Big Bro, Naoto-senpai, help me! Give me everything you've got! _ She felt a surge of strength and thrust forward. The dull, snapped-off end tore through whatever stood in for flesh and bone in the god's chest.

He cried out, his hands slipping on the knife as Nanako pressed it further in. She screamed in triumph as she flipped the knife down, snapping it at the handle this time, and then swung her fist around, smashing him in the face and sending him rolling.

She stomped on his chest to stop the rolling and thrust her hand into his face, her fingernails a hair's breadth from his eyes. He froze.

“You took my brother,” Nanako said, a sneer changing into a triumphant grin, a line of drool running down her chin. “You took my friend. You tried to take away all our friends.” She drew her hand back and waved it at him, and his skin and clothing split, clear blue liquid leaking from the wounds, which quickly began to steam. She waved again and again, shredding him further. He did not cry out, did not speak, but she could sense his pain. She realized that, for the first time, she could actually feel a god's mind.

She loved it. Inflicting such pain on the one that had tortured them all, that had murdered her beloved Big Bro and her friend, that had once tried to take her, to use her as a tool for murder – it fulfilled her. She felt it. It was payback. It was justice.

It was  _ power _ .

She laughed out loud even as Susano-O kept his stony silence, swiping again and again, wishing briefly that she could keep doing this forever, to repay the pain and the death he had caused, until the end of time.

“Nanako, stop!”

She was knocked backward, and suddenly between her and Susano-O stood Amaterasu. She had her arms spread out not in a welcoming gesture, but shielding the fallen one from her. “You've done what you needed to, Nanako. You've defeated him. Now stop, please.”

“Stop?” Nanako said. “After what he did to us? After – after what he did to Naoto-senpai and Big Bro?” She stabbed a finger to Susano-O. “You think this is over? It's just started. By the time I'm done you'll  _ wish _ you were mortal!”

“You...you see, my sister?” Susano-O said, his mouth gurgling with blue as he spoke. “You see? I was right...all along! They seek to destroy us!”

“If you hadn't provoked them this would not have happened,” Amaterasu said.

“Don't fool yourself!” Susano-O spat back. “This would have come no matter what! Have you not been watching? Seen the feral rage in her eyes?” He pointed to Nanako, whose eyes were still emitting the flames that danced onto her forehead. “This is what waits for us all!”

“Shut up! Shut  _ up _ !” Nanako screamed. She pointed to Amaterasu. “You get out of my way! I'm gonna end this right now!”

“Don't follow this path, Nanako!” Amaterasu said. “Even if you kill him, it will solve nothing. It will not bring back your loved ones, or save your very soul!”

“What?”

“Nanako-chan,” Rise said, running toward her, “maybe you should stop. It's – it's over, right?”

“No...no it's not,” Nanako said. “I can make him pay for everything he's ever done to us. Anything he's ever  _ thought _ about doing to us.” She grinned, and the sight of it combined with her flaming eyes frightened Rise even more than the prospect of her own death had.

“N-Nanako-chan...” Rise said, but her throat had closed off. Her heart, already broken from the death of the man she loved, fell to pieces to see the girl she loved like a sister making the transition into what she could only call a monster. She backed away even as the others approached from behind.

Nanako glared back at Amaterasu. “You lied to us, didn't you? You said he wasn't evil but he is! He tortured Naoto-senpai! He was going to kill us all! How do you define evil?”

Susano-O spat out a mouthful of blue before tilting his head back. “I am a warrior. I will do whatever I must to defend my people. Your friend thought she was stronger than I, and it was my duty to prove her wrong.”

“You're a petulant child,” Amaterasu retorted. “She frustrated you, and you behaved like an animal toward her. Like a spoiled human infant.”

“How  _ dare _ you judge me?” Susano-O said. “Have you yet come clean with them? Revealed the lies?” He glanced to Nanako and grinned. “Before you 'destroy' me, wouldn't you like to know the truth?”

“The truth?” Nanako said. She turned to Amaterasu. “He did tell us things about you. How much was the truth?”

“What did he say, precisely?”

“You know very well what I said,” Susano-O said. “Tell her. You're not so pure as you like to pretend, and the truth will eventually be revealed.”

Amaterasu stared at her brother for a moment, and then turned to face the team. “I provoked you by invoking the 'Midnight Channel', as you call it. Then, I took control of your friend Naoto's body, bringing her into this world, in hopes you would follow.”

“What?” Yukiko said. “You were trying to  _ stop _ us from coming in!”

“And I knew you would not listen,” Amaterasu said. She lowered her hands to her side. “You did not trust me. I knew you would do the opposite of what I told you, through your own impetuousness and arrogance.”

“You mean  _ you _ brought her in here?” Kanji said. “ _ You _ put her in danger?” He clenched his fists so tightly they shook. “What about me?”

“You followed her of your own will,” Amaterasu said. “Of all, your impulse control is perhaps the weakest.”

Kanji started to respond with a filthy expletive, but Chie interrupted, “What if we hadn't followed them in? What if we'd listened to you?”

“You wouldn't have,” Amaterasu said. “You care for your friends far too much to leave them in danger.”

“That's not all, is it, sister?” Susano-O said.

“No, it is not.” She looked down to the fox, looking barely alive, and having dragged herself across the sand. “I am sorry, Oinari. I used you as well.” Oinari stared silently at her. “I knew you would help them fight my brother, even if you could not follow through in destroying him. They needed your assistance, but only a little of it, so I allowed him to draw your energy until you had barely any left.” She waved her hand, and Oinari crumpled completely to the ground.

“No!” Yosuke said, throwing himself over her. “Stop it!” However, he was pushed off her when her body stretched and morphed, her orange fur sinking into pink, scarred skin.

Her humanoid form restored, Oinari opened her one eye and turned it to Amaterasu. “You...betrayed me?” she said, her voice rough and dry. “You sent me in to spy on him, and you betrayed me  _ to _ him?”

“Not to him, but I chose to take away much of your strength before we arrived on Earth.” Amaterasu sighed. “You left me little choice. Your taking an active part in his defeat would have worsened the situation greatly. Both of you were obsessed, you with revenge against him,” she turned to Susano-O, “and you with ruling Heaven in my place. Your followers were only a means to an end. I could not allow either of you to succeed. I love you, my brother, but you are far too selfish, far too power-hungry to ever lead. Your actions prove it. Word of the things you have done in secret, the ones you tried to hide from even your closest followers, is spreading. It will sow confusion among their ranks, and your civil war will fizzle.”

“No...not after they hear what you've done here!” Susano-O said. “When the truth is out, all their trust in you will evaporate.”

“It will not come out,” Amaterasu said. “I created this realm for you a long time ago as a gift, remember? I made it to follow your every whim, even your most base, your most lascivious. But  _ I _ control how, and if, it is accessible from outside. Your sins alone were enough to destabilize your support, and I have...embellished to some degree. You have no credibility remaining, and I control what others see and hear as they watch us here.”

“But – but...” Oinari said. “I can't believe...Amaterasu, how could you? You never...never resorted to these kinds of methods. All of Heaven trusts you to be fair, honest. Even those who disagreed with you loved you!  _ I  _ loved you as my sister!”

“You will understand some day.”

“No – no....I'll tell them!” She turned to Susano-O. “He's done much for which he deserves punishment, but not over your lies! I will tell them!”

“You will not,” Amaterasu said. “To do so would put all of creation at risk. Civil war would be a certainty. There would be many deaths, not just in Heaven, but here on Earth, and on many other worlds as well. I know you, old friend, and you could not live with yourself if you were the cause of it all.”

“No, no, wait,” Ryotaro said. He stepped forward until he was in Amaterasu's face. “This whole thing, people dying, Memflies – it was all a political power play?”

“I don't believe you,” Yukiko said. “After I...after all these years...all the prayers...” She shook her head. “This is what we get? You using us like puppets?”

“This is your fault!” Kanji said. He pointed to Souji and Naoto's bodies. “You're just as responsible for killing them as he is!”

Amaterasu tilted her head. “I see you do not fully understand...”

“You know what I just realized?” Nanako interrupted. She had listened to this entire exchange, and had had enough. “I don't have to listen to you any more.” She thrust her hands at Amaterasu and fire erupted in her face. “You're even  _ worse _ than him!” She threw fireball after fireball at Amaterasu, roaring louder with each one as the flames grew hotter. “This is from Big Bro! And this is from Naoto-senpai! And this is from me!”

Amaterasu spread out her hands, and the growing fire was drawn into a ball before her. She closed her hands around the fire and it vanished. “W-what?” Nanako said. “No, wait, that's...”

“How do you believe you could defeat me?” Susano-O said. “I knew from the moment you took command of the water -  _ my _ water. I could sense my sister's presence in you.”

Nanako gaped as Amaterasu said, “Some day humanity may gain the power to challenge a god directly, and you are indeed a step toward that destiny, but not yet. You are not ready with the wisdom to wield such power.”

Nanako wasn't sure whether she should feel hurt, or fear, or emptiness. She had absorbed every Persona, even taken in Souji and Naoto's very souls. They had given her great power, beyond anything she could have imagined, and yet it hadn't been enough. She hadn't won any kind of battle for humanity or for herself. And then it hit her: everything Amaterasu said had been a lie. She was sure of it. Even what she'd said about Nanako being special, about her having to watch over Souji. Amaterasu must have known that he was going to die here, now. It was all some elaborate plot, and she'd managed to follow it step-by-step.

To Nanako's shock, Susano-O laughed hoarsely. “So it seems you did not defeat me after all, did you, little one?”

“Go to hell!” Nanako screamed, slashing at him again.

Susano-O winced, but remained in his reclined position. “Even at your top strength and with me weakened, you cannot harm me further. Your detective friend – at least she was able to beat me before I killed her.” He frowned bitterly, but then smiled. “But now, as part of you,  _ I  _ have defeated  _ her _ by failing to be defeated by you.”

“Wait, hold on, you mean this was the game from the start?” Yosuke said, standing up to Amaterasu at Ryotaro's side. “You let him kill Souji and Naoto just for this? Just so you could beat him through Nanako-chan anyway?”

“Because she had to beat me,” Susano-O said, “but she couldn't be seen doing it. And yet you proved your point by letting a human beat me, didn't you? No matter what happens now, I have still won. One day they will threaten us, and I'm not the only one who believes it. Sooner or later, we will rise up, and we will do what must be done.” He turned to Nanako. “We will prevent another  _ you _ from ever occurring again.”

“Perhaps in time,” Amaterasu said, “but not now. They have seen your cruelty, and that is all. The murder of the old woman they overlooked. The torture of this one?” She pointed to Naoto's body. “You made no friends with that one. They have seen how you provoked the humans into action. And they will see how, despite all you have done to them, they showed mercy and let you live.”

“Mercy?” Taro said. “Nope, not for this one. How about you step out of the way and let us finish him? You and we will both be rid of our problem.”

“Taro-san?” Margaret said, touching his arm. “You – you truly believe so?”

“Sometimes you just can't reason with someone,” Taro said.

“And you, the beneficiary of such reasoning,” Amaterasu said, “would be willing to deny it to others?”

“He wasn't a killer,” Kanji said. “He didn't deserve it.” He pointed to Susano-O “That piece of shit down there, death's too good for him!”

“Killing a god would do you far more harm than good, even if you were capable,” Amaterasu said. “Your defeat of Izanami was the catalyst for the movement my brother led. Destroying him would lead to full-scale war with many gods. You would lose. Humanity would lose. Consider the consequences of your actions, even of 'victory', before you act.”

“You...” Nanako said, her voice growing deeper. “you both toyed with us! Used us! Killed Big Bro and Naoto-senpai for a game!” She cried out in frustration and threw every kind of attack she could think of at both of them, but all were drawn to Amaterasu's hand and dispersed with little more than a  _ pop _ .

“Nanako-chan!” Rise cried. “No! You've gotta stop!”

“What does it matter?” Nanako said. “What does any of it...no, no wait.” She stopped. “I still beat you. Yeah, I  _ did _ still beat you! Big Bro and Naoto-senpai aren't gone! They're with me! You tried to kill them but I saved them!”

“What?” Kanji said. “'Saved them'?”

“Their souls,” Nanako said, slapping a hand to her chest. “I can feel them! They talk to me! They're giving me strength!”

“But, but Nanako-chan,” Yukiko said, “you can't hold onto them forever. Their souls, they have to – have to move on.”

“No they don't!” Nanako said. “They can be with me forever! With  _ us _ forever!”

“Nanako-chan!” Chie said. “Stop it!”

“You've gotta let them go!” Teddie said. “Sensei and Nao-chan'll be trapped forever if you don't!”

“No,” Nanako said. “No, no. They'll be alive, with me. Always, with me. I won't be alone anymore, ever.” She turned to the others, her glowing eyes no longer burning, but still pouring tears down her cheeks. “Don't you see? There doesn't have to be bad things in the world anymore. I can fix them! I could use my Persona in the real world because I'm different! Maybe I can't beat a god, but I've got the power to bring everyone together, and we can all find a way to beat them!”

Ryotaro held up his hands. “Wait, Nanako, you're talking about some kind of coup, aren't you? Using your power to - to take over the world?” He took her hand. It was uncomfortably hot, but he held on tightly. “Nanako, you can't rule the world. No one person can. I think this – all this power is corrupting your mind.”

“Corrupting?” Nanako spat, yanking her hand from her father's grip. “No, I'm thinking totally clear! I can stop crime, Dad! I can – I can find the guy that killed Mom! Make him pay! I can fix everything! Everything wrong with the world!”

“Nanako-chan, nobody can fix everything,” Yukiko said.

“But  _ I _ can!” Nanako insisted. “I've got the power! With Big Bro and Naoto-senpai with me, we can make people better! We can save everyone!”

“From what?” Ryotaro said. “What do you plan to save them from?”

“Themselves!”

Taro was taken aback to hear this. Her father was right: Nanako was growing mad with her power. Even if it wasn't enough to defeat a god, it could someday be. What if her power was based on the number of souls she'd captured? How many would she need to become a  _ god _ ? Ten? A hundred? A million? Would she be able to stop? As good and kind a girl as she was, would this power consume her, and turn her into the bane of all humanity? Would he, who had once almost killed her in an attempt to save her, and later made up for that dire mistake by saving her life more than once, have to find a way to destroy her?

“So – so you'll become like them?” Rise said, pointing to Amaterasu and Susano-O. “You'll turn us all into puppets?”

“Big Bro and Naoto-senpai'll help me save people,” Nanako said, her confident tone starting to waver. “I know they will. They'll  _ have _ to.”

“You cannot make that choice for them,” Margaret said. “Only if they are willing should you keep them.”

“What?” Taro said.

“What're you saying?” Yosuke said.

“That Souji-san and Naoto-san deserve to choose whether their souls will remain within her, or if they wish to pass on.” Margaret knelt on the ground sat before Nanako, looking up into her radiant eyes. “They saved your life, and you owe them that choice.”

Nanako blinked at Margaret for a few seconds. Then, “All right, fine.” She closed her eyes.  _ Big Bro, Naoto-senpai, can you hear me? _

_ Little Sis... _

_ We can hear you, Nanako-chan... _

_ How are you both? _

_ Cold,  _ Souji replied.  _ And...and scared. _

“Scared?” Nanako said out loud.

_ Yes _ , Naoto said.  _ For ourselves and for you. _

“But you don't have to be scared,” Nanako said. “You'll never be alone again.”

_ We have to move on, _ Naoto said.  _ If it is our time, then we must go. _

_ I want to see my grandparents again, _ Souji said.

_ And I my parents, _ Naoto added.

“But – but we can do so much,” Nanako said, her voice wavering. “So much good. So much bad stuff we can make better!”

_ It's not up to any one person to right all the wrongs of the world, _ Naoto said.

_ The power's consuming you _ , Souji said.  _ Little Sis, we could feel everything you felt when you were beating Susano-O. You enjoyed it. You would've gladly torn him to pieces. It scares me to see you like that. Because I love you so much, and you're the best, gentlest person in the world. I don't want to see you grow up to be a monster. It'd break my heart, and I'd never forgive myself. _

“Big Bro...no, you can't mean that...”

_ You have to let us go _ , Naoto said.  _ Let the power go. You've done what you have to. You have to let us go. _

“But...but...I don't wanna be alone...” Nanako sobbed. “I don't wanna be alone.”

_ Little Sis, open your eyes. _

Nanako complied.

_ Look at them, Little Sis. _

She turned her gaze to the team. All were watching her, concern etched on their faces. Concern for her, because they cared for her. And she remembered that she cared for them as well. Cared for their well-being, cared what they thought.

_ They're your friends, all of them. They love you as much as we do. And they want to see you happy. I promise you will never be alone. _

Nanako stood, staring at them. After a few seconds she sank to the ground and started weeping openly. Margaret hugged her, followed by Teddie, Rise, and Yosuke. Soon every one of the team was holding her as she shook and wept. “But I don't...don't wanna lose you,” she sobbed.

_ We'll always be with you, Nanako-chan. We'll always be watching over you. _

Nanako tried to speak, but the words were drowned within her own sobs. After another failed attempt she lifted her face to the sky.  _ I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. _ She opened her eyes, and wisps of white vapor rose out of each one. As they left her body, her eyes returned to their natural brown.

Rise looked up and saw the vapor depart Nanako, and knew right away she was seeing the souls of Souji and Naoto. “Senpai,” she said through her own weeping. “I love you so much. I – I'm gonna miss you forever.”

As they attempted to comfort Nanako and each other, Amaterasu looked down at Susano-O. “It is time for you to go, my brother. I will deal with you later.”

“If you think...” Susano-O started, but with a wave of Amaterasu's hand he was gone.

Oinari closed her eyes. “Amaterasu,” she said, “you weaken him so you can banish him without a further fight. What will you do with me now? You've already weakened me. Will you put me in chains as well, sequester me forever? Or will you try to buy my silence with some sort of bribe?”

Amaterasu stroked her chin. “Were I to 'bribe' you, as you say, could you promise to keep this all to yourself?”

“I don't know,” Oinari said. “Both of those I most loved have betrayed me. I don't know what I have left to lose, except my existence.”

“Then you will remain on Earth until you decide,” Amaterasu said. “Of course, you must remain in your animal form, and will not be allowed to communicate with other gods. I hope, however, that you will eventually come to agree with me.”

“I don't know that I can,” Oinari said, closing her eyes. “At this moment I would prefer nothing more than exile as a fox, and then to die as one, rather than live a lie.”

“That is a choice only you can make, and that only the wisdom of time may allow you.” She waved her hand and Oinari shrank back down to her fox form. Oinari stood, her rear leg and injured eye healed, but she kept her eyes averted from Amaterasu. She gave a low bark.

“I shall come see you from time to time, and though I will be in disguise you will always know it is me. Goodbye, my friend, and I pray you will make the right choice.” She waved her hand again, and Oinari was gone.

Rise watched as twin vapors continued rising, but then started to arc over her head. “Huh?” She tried to separate from the hug, but Kanji had her pinned against Margaret. “Hey, guys, where...guys, hold on a sec!”

“What?” Kanji said.

She couldn't pull her arms out, but gestured with her head. “Look over there!”

Kanji pulled away to look at the vapors, freeing up Rise to do the same. The twin vapors reached the apex of their arc, and then descended toward the bodies lying in the sand behind them. “Hey, guys! Look at this!” Kanji said, breathlessly.

“What?” Yosuke said.

The vapors split apart, and one was absorbed into Souji's body while the other descended into Naoto's. The faint glow around the bodies grew slightly.

“What – what just happened?” Chie said. She turned to Amaterasu, whose expression had changed from placid to almost cheerful. “What was that?”

“Their souls have returned to their rightful places,” Amaterasu said. “They are not yet dead.”

The team made sounds from incredulous shock to disbelief. “No, n-no,” Nanako said. “It – they can't be. I – I  _ felt _ them...felt them die...”

“Remember where you are, little child of the greens,” Amaterasu said. “This is a god's realm.  _ My _ realm. The rules here are not the same as those for your world.”

“Wait, so you mean – they're alive?” Yukiko said, jumping to her feet.

“No,” Amaterasu said. “They are not alive, nor are they dead. They are waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Taro said.

“Life force,” Amaterasu said. “Theirs has run almost completely out. They require an 'infusion', if you will. An infusion from another human.”

“Then give mine to Naoto!” Kanji said. “Let her live!”

Amaterasu opened her mouth to speak, but Rise interrupted, “And give mine to Senp...Souji. Please. Please, bring him back.”

“Wait – wait just a second here,” Ryotaro said. “Everyone hold up. We already know she's lied to us and used us for just about everything.” He turned to her. “How do we know you're not lying now?”

“Because there would be nothing for me to gain by it,” Amaterasu said. “All that had to come to pass in order to prevent war has happened. Your friends have the opportunity to live again, and it is the least I can do in repayment of the pain my brother and I have inflicted upon them.”

“Then give Souji mine,” Rise insisted. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was not how she imagined her death would be, but compared to the death she had faced only minutes ago, this was far preferable, far more meaningful. She would gladly accept it. She opened her eyes again. “Guys,” she said, looking over them all but finally focusing on Nanako. “Please, tell Senpai I'll always love him.”

“No,” Yukiko said, stepping up to her. “You're gonna tell him yourself.” She turned to Amaterasu. “Take mine in her place.”

“Yukiko-chan, no...” Rise started.

“Yukiko,” Amaterasu started.

“Please,” Yukiko said, choking back a sob. “I want this. You two deserve the chance to be happy together.”

“Yukiko...” Chie said, coming up to her and taking her hand. Yukiko turned around and hugged her tightly. “I can't let you...can't let you do this.”

“It's all right,” Yukiko said, sniffling. “It's all right.”

“No, it's not. Amaterasu, take me, not her.”

“Chie!” said both Yukiko and Yosuke in unison. “No,” Yosuke said, taking her arm. “You're not leaving me behind.” He turned to Amaterasu. “If you're gonna take Chie for Souji, then take me for Naoto.”

“Yosuke, no...” Chie started.

“I'm gonna be with you, wherever you are,” Yosuke said. He took her hand and showed her the spot on her left hand where her engagement ring would be if she were wearing it. “That's what we said when I gave you the ring, right?”

Taro stood. “No, I'm not going to let this happen. Give my life to Naoto-san. I owe it to everyone here too many times for me to count.” He turned to Kanji, who was shaking her head. “It's not a debate. You and she are going to have the chance to make everything right between you. All right?”

“Taro,” Amaterasu said.

“Taro-san,” Margaret interrupted, walking to him as best she could with her spike heels repeatedly sinking into the sand. “Are you – are you certain this is what you wish?”

“I can't say there aren't reasons for me to stay,” Taro said, touching Margaret's cheek and feeling a cool tear underneath his hand. “But – I think this was what I was meant to do. Give my life real meaning, you know?”

Margaret smiled, but the sadness never left her eyes. “Then take mine as well, for Souji-san.” She turned to Yukiko, Chie, and Yosuke. “You all have so much life left for you. You deserve to live it.” She turned back to Taro and gazed into his eyes. “I am close enough to human, I'm sure.”

Taro felt his own tears come forth. “I – guess I'll meet you on the other side, then?”

“If I had ever given thought to eternity before today, I could have never imagined a better way than to spend it with you,” Margaret said. She drew his face to hers and they kissed. There were sobs from the others, and not a single eye was dry.

“No, I can't let you guys do that,” Teddie said. “Take me for both Sensei and Nao-chan. I mean, I've got enough life in me for two people, right?”

Just as Nanako started to speak, Amaterasu cleared her throat loudly enough to silence them all. “If you would all kindly allow me to finish speaking? You see, the life force need not come from only one person. You may all donate a small portion of your own, and you may all continue living even as Souji and Naoto are restored.”

There was a collective gasp, except from Taro and Margaret who were still in the process of breaking their kiss. “W-wait,” Chie said. “You mean they'll be alive again and we won't have to give up our lives or anything? Why didn't you just say so?”

“You would not let me,” Amaterasu said. “But I did not say you would not have to give up anything. You should not make this choice lightly, for in giving up part of your life force, you will also be sacrificing your power to cross worlds, and to summon Personas. Your friends, as a cost for renewed life, will likewise lose theirs.”

“Wait, what?” Yosuke said. “What do you mean? No more Shadow World?”

“You mean I can't go home to my world anymore?” Teddie said.

“What're you talking about, 'go home'?” Yosuke said. “You haven't gone back there in almost two years! I mean, not counting the past couple days.”

“Yeah, but what if I  _ wanna _ go back?”

“You must choose,” said Amaterasu.

“But – what if we're needed again?” Yukiko said. “What if...?” She turned to where Susano-O had been. “Where did he go?”

“I sent him away to face his fate,” Amaterasu said. "He will trouble you no more."

“What if some of his friends come looking for revenge?” Chie said.

“My master will not allow mankind to be unprotected,” Margaret said. “He is very compassionate, and his foresight is second to none.”

“Compassionate enough to kick you out of the Velvet Room,” Ryotaro said.

“Many times before, he has intervened to awaken humans to their inner strength, their Personas, to allow them to defend your world.” Margaret said, apparently ignoring Ryotaro's comment. “He will no doubt do so again if it is needed. While I am no longer permitted to speak on behalf of him, I am certain he would not begrudge you choosing to give up your power in exchange for the lives of your friends. I do believe he would cheer you for doing so.”

“And what if this is all a plot to make us give up our power?” Ryotaro said. “How do we know you aren't just trying to weaken us?”

“Because I could wipe you all out of existence at this very moment if I chose to do so,” Amaterasu said. “I choose not to. Is that sufficient?”

“She's – right, I think,” Nanako said. “About Big Bro and Naoto-senpai. I can...I can feel them. They're real weak, but they're in their bodies.” She turned to Amaterasu. “I don't think she's lying about this.”

“Guys,” Taro said, “we shouldn't argue about this. I trust Nanako-san, and I say we put it to a vote. All in favor of giving up our powers for Souji-kun and Naoto-san?” He raised his hand.

“Aye,” Chie said immediately, her hand shooting upward.

“Me too,” Yosuke said.

“You don't even have to ask,” Rise said.

“Hell yes!” Kanji said.

“I'll give all I can,” Yukiko said.

“As will I,” Margaret said.

“For Sensei and Nao-chan?” Teddie said, leaping with both hands raised. “I'll give up  _ everything _ if I have to! Fo' sho'!”

Ryotaro, his eyes on Amaterasu, nodded. “If she's telling the truth, then absolutely.”

Rise turned to Nanako who was silently staring down at the sand. “Nanako-chan?”

All eyes turned to her. She, for her part, turned to Amaterasu. “These powers have been nothing but heartbreak for me. I wanna give everything to Big Bro and Naoto-senpai. I want them to be alive again, and I want us all to go back to being normal. Take every bit you need from me so they can live, and so I don't have to have these damn powers any more.”

Amaterasu nodded. “You are all truly devoted to each other, and are a shining example of humanity. You can never understand the depth of the remorse I feel for having used you in this way, or for having subjected you, however indirectly, to the torment you have experienced. I pray that this gesture will come a long way toward, one day, you finding it within your hearts to forgive even me and my brother.”

“Don't push your luck,” Chie said.

“How 'bout we  _ not _ antagonize the goddess right now,” Yosuke said.

Amaterasu, apparently ignoring the banter, walked over to Naoto and Souji's bodies, leaving fresh-grown wildflowers in her sandy footprints. She stopped between them and held out her hand, parallel to the ground above them. She raised the other, palm out toward the others. “Let your life force flow into the still bodies before me, and let them breathe once more with the power of your sacrifice. If you simply allow it, it will happen.”

Everyone closed their eyes, and their Personas suddenly appeared, one by one. Margaret, who had no Persona of her own, had a shapeless cloud of blue form above her. It eventually took shape as a featureless, slender humanoid. Each disintegrated into tiny points of blue light that flowed in a stream to Amaterasu's outstretched hand.

Rise's Kanzeon.

Kanji's Rokuten Maou.

Taro's Kunino-sagiri.

The blue form Margaret's life force had taken.

Teddie's Kamui.

Ryotaro's Castor.

Yukiko's faceless, fan-armed Amaterasu.

Chie's Suzuka Gongen.

Yosuke's flame-haired, blade-faced Susano-O.

And finally Zerachiel, Nanako's armored, spear-wielding angel.

The blue sprites collected in a sphere at Amaterasu's palm, and then flowed across her chest to her other hand. It hesitated there for a moment, and then the sprites fell upon the bodies like rain, soaking them in bright, glowing white. At the same time, bits from them flew back up to her hand, back across her chest, and then streamed back out toward the others.

As the last specks left Amaterasu's hand, the bodies jerked. When they had been absorbed, Naoto's eyes flew open and she gasped in a huge breath. Souji's back arched and he coughed several times, before falling flat onto the ground.

“Senpai!”

“Souji!”

“Big Bro!”

Souji's eyes flew open and his hands went immediately to his chest. Aside from his shirt, through which a long slash had been cut, there was no sign of his fatal injury which he remembered all too well. And yet, despite that, he felt great. Healthier, stronger than ever had in his life.

He heard feet beating on the sand and turned his head. Directly in his field of view was Naoto, her head rolling side to side. “Hey, Naoto.”

Naoto turned to him. “Souji? Are you all right?”

Souji felt his chest again. “Yeah, yeah, I think so. You?”

“Yes,” Naoto said. “I think – I think we're alive. Apparently this is what one would call a 'miracle'.”

“Hey!” Rise was suddenly on top of Souji, literally. She started covering him with kisses, and in between them, saying, “Oh my God I'm so glad I thought I lost you oh God oh God!” She squeezed him so tightly he could barely breathe.

“Good...to be back,” Souji said, wrapping his arms around her.

“Nao-tan,” Kanji said, kneeling next to her. He touched her tentatively, and she took his hand.

“I'm fine,” Naoto said. She started to sit up.

“Hey, hang on,” he said. “You sure? Maybe you shouldn't move 'till, you know...”

Naoto sat up and hugged Kanji tightly. After a moment he returned it. “Thank you for believing in me,” she whispered into his ear. “I'm so sorry, I feel as if so much of this is my fault.”

“Don't worry about it,” Kanji said. “We know what really happened. He tried to make you his slave and you beat him.” He kissed her cheek. “Man, I wish I was strong as you.”

Naoto sighed. “If only I'd been stronger...”

“I said forget about it,” Kanji said. “Hey, look, I been thinkin' – how 'bout we just start over? You and me. You know, give things another shot and all that.”

Naoto smiled. “I could accept that.”

“Good,” Kanji said. He pulled away from her slightly, and then kissed her lips tenderly. Her eyes widened for a second, but then she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him. They held the kiss for a long moment until they mutually released it. “Good start-over?”

“Better than I could have imagined,” Naoto said with a smile that was not fully reflected in her eyes.

While everyone else fawned over them, trading hugs and kisses, thanks and welcomes, Nanako stood back a bit. While she was happy, she was also ashamed. Ashamed for letting herself be used, ashamed for what she almost became.

Souji saw her from between Teddie and Margaret. “Little Sis,” he said.

“Hey, Big Bro,” answered Nanako.

“Thanks,” Souji said.

She shook her head. “You don't have to thank me.”

“Yes I do,” Souji said. “Thank you for saving us. Thank you for beating Susano-O.”

“I didn't do that,” Nanako said, looking up at Amaterasu and scowling. Amaterasu made no discernible reaction, and Nanako still could not feel the goddess's thoughts.

“Hey, what's that?” Teddie said.

“What?” Taro said. He knelt down and picked up a card from the ground. “This's my Persona card. Must've slipped out of my pocket.” He flipped it over. The frame on the face of it, in which Kunino-sagiri would have stood, was blank. The card also felt cold to his touch and he realized that, before, it had always been slightly warm, as if it had been alive. “It's blank.”

Yukiko pulled hers out from her shirt. “Mine too,” she said.

“I guess this means we're done,” Yosuke said, examining his own. “With our Personas, I mean.” He tossed his away.

“Hey, don't just throw it away!” Chie said.

“What's it matter?” Yosuke said. “Not like the guy who owned this place did us any favors.”

“I guess, huh,” Rise said, her arms still wrapped around Souji. “I guess I almost feel – a little glad to not need Kanzeon any more. Like maybe things'll be a little more normal now.”

“Yeah...” Nanako said, staring at her own card. Glancing up at the others, she tucked it back into her pocket. She turned to Amaterasu, who was still watching her placidly, but could not think of anything she wanted to say.

Naoto turned to her as well. “I'm afraid I must ask: now what? I presume our ability to cross over is lost with our Personas.”

Amaterasu nodded. “Indeed, but I may offer some assistance. I will return you to your world, where you may live the rest of your days in peace.”

“Just like that?” Chie said.

“Yes indeed.”

“We...owe you a lot for saving our friends,” Yukiko said, “but don't think we trust you any more. You've shown us you're willing to lie and manipulate to get what you want. Don't expect much more than thanks from us.”

“I would not ask for it,” Amaterasu said. “Simply feel safe in the knowledge that, in your actions here, Heaven and Earth have been saved from a violent civil war.”

“As long as you stay out of our lives, we'll feel safe enough,” Ryotaro said.

“That is my intention.”

“So how do we get home?” Taro said.

“Like this,” Amaterasu said. She waved her hand, and everything went white.

VVVVV

The first thing they saw was sunlight. The sky was perfectly clear and blue, not a single cloud in view. The ground, on the other hand, was still saturated from the endless storm. Naoto, who was still barefoot, could feel between her toes the warm rainwater on the soft grass. It had been a long time since she had walked barefoot through the grass, and she realized that it was sensations such as that, the little comforts one often overlooked, that were what really  _ made _ life. It made her feel free. For the first time in far too long, she was her own master again. It was all she could do to keep from crying with joy. Despite all she had gone through recently, the pain, the despair, even her own death, for the moment it was all distant, vague. For now, she was almost giddy with relief.

And yet, even though she was thrilled at the prospect of being her own person once again, the only thing she could think about was spending time with the man standing next to her. She looked over at him, examining him up and down. She then realized he was also mostly barefoot, his socks horribly torn and stained. She smiled and took his hand, and he turned to her, returning the smile almost shyly.

“The rain's done,” Nanako said, “but there's still a lot of flooding I can see.”

It was then Naoto realized where they were: Hill Park, by the overlook.

“It'll dry up,” Ryotaro said. “Always does.”

Nanako looked down at the grass, and then up at her father. “You think it's really over?” she asked.

“I think – it sounds like it,” Ryotaro said. “I hope it is.”

Nanako watched him skeptically for a moment, and then glanced at the others. They were already sharing another set of hugs. Even Souji and Naoto shared an awkward-looking embrace. After a moment's hesitation, she went over and joined in, even receiving a kiss from Teddie.

After they all basked in the sunlight, and in the thought that, finally, it was all over, Chie said, “We should probably go home now, huh?”

“Probably,” Yukiko said. “I'm sure everyone at the Inn is wondering where I am.”

“Aw shit!” Yosuke said, checking his watch. “I was supposed to be at work four hours ago! Man, my dad's  _ so _ gonna be pissed!”

“He'll get over it,” Taro said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Just tell him you helped save the world. I'll vouch for you.” He laughed.

“Great, thanks,” Yosuke said, his voice drawn out in sarcasm.

There were a few chuckles. “Well,” Souji said, “I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving. Anyone up for Aiya? My treat?”

“Hell yeah!” Kanji said. “Is he even open yet, though?”

“After all that happened, all you guys can think about is food?” Rise said.

Souji shrugged. “Victory lunch.”

“I could go for some,” Naoto said. “And a pair of shoes, if it's not too much trouble.”

“Uh, yeah,” Kanji said. “Ditto on the shoes, too.”

“Well, if Souji's paying, what's an extra hour or so?” Yosuke said.

“Oh, that's right!” Yukiko said. “I almost forgot about your bill at the Inn!”

“Oh yeah,” Souji said, seeing an empty, dusty wallet in his mind's eye. He was happy to be alive, but a 90,000 yen room bill certainly wasn't on his “wonderful things in life” list.

Yukiko waved her hand. “I'll reverse it as soon as I get back. Besides, if I remember correctly you haven't used it more than a couple nights anyway.”

“Hey, you know what?” Chie said. “Forget Aiya. Why not just have our victory lunch at the Inn? After all, they've got  _ steak _ !”

“And there it is,” Yosuke said. “Like clockwork.” He dodged when Chie leaned toward him, but she grabbed his head, pulled it to her, and kissed his neck. And then he said, “Ow!” as she bit him gently.

“Well, why don't we all get cleaned up, and tonight we'll meet at the Inn?” Yukiko said. “We've got plenty of room right now, and I think we could all use a big party.”

With universal agreement, they started down the hill. Rise gripped Souji's hand tightly, and he pulled it to his lips and kissed it. Together they walked down, all of them, hope of a brand new day, of brand new life, and of brand new love. While the trials of the past days had taken them to the brink and then beyond it, they had come through it stronger, and closer. They would never be apart again, even if separated by an entire world, for each carried within them a piece of each of the others. The mistakes of the past would not be repeated.

They were then, and forever would be, friends inseparable.


	23. The Chosen

“Welcome to the Velvet Room, for what I believe may be the final time.” Igor peered at him over his arched fingers.

Souji looked about the room. It was indeed the same Velvet Room as he'd seen before, and aside from Igor, it was just as empty. As he took a second to think, he realized that, somehow, it seemed to have grown smaller than it was the last time he were here, weeks ago. “I – I didn't think I'd be able to come back here, after what happened. I haven't seen the door in the Shopping District since then.”

“You are asleep in the real world. Your dreams are now the only avenue through which you may access this realm, and even that is closing to you shortly. In sacrificing your powers you have also given up your key.”

“But I didn't sacrifice my powers,” Souji said. “I mean, everyone else sacrificed them, for me. And Naoto.”

“Your powers and your life are intertwined. In sacrificing your life for your cousin, in giving up your life force, so did you give up your powers. Never fear, for your need for them is, for now, at an end.”

“'For now'?”

Igor's grin widened. “None can truly know what your future holds. My powers of prescience are limited, aside from the fact that I can see that yours holds more...living than it did before.”

Souji tried, but failed, to suppress his smile. Indeed, the past few weeks had been some of the best he'd had in years. Perhaps his entire life. Despite the pain and suffering they had all experienced at the hands of “superior” beings, Igor had never once lied to him, nor withheld crucial truths. At least, as far as he knew. “I hope you're right on that,” he said, his mind immediately focusing on Rise's face. No, not just hers: everyone's. They were a part of him now. He didn't have to be a loner. No matter where he was, nor what he did, he would always have them with them. If he was sure about one thing, though, it was that he wouldn't be staying away long ever again. Where could he be that would hold more meaning for him than with his friends?

He then remembered one thing. “Do you know where Margaret is? We haven't seen her in a while. She was staying with Taro, but she just left the other day. He said she was 'summoned', or something, but wouldn't say where she was going. Nobody's seen her since.”

Igor's grin narrowed slightly. “You will see her soon. I cannot say more, because it is not my place.”

“Really,” Souji said, feeling a little dejected.

“Do not fret,” Igor said. “Remember, you hold a piece of her within you, just as she holds a piece of you within her. She will never be far from you, no matter where her future takes her.”

Souji sighed, and then nodded. “So it's, um, really all over, isn't it? Not just the fight, but our powers, our Personas, everything.”

“For the future I can foresee, yes. But throughout humanity's history, there has always been a need for heroes. Some day, you may once again be called upon to fulfill that role. It may not be in the manner with which you are accustomed, but from what I have seen of your actions, you will fill it well.”

The light started to dim, and then went out completely, with Igor's face being the last thing to disappear into the darkness. “Farewell, and should we not have the fortune to meet again, allow me to wish you happiness for the rest of your days. Few of whom I can think have done as much as you to earn it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 24, 2018

“Wow, it's like deja vu all over again,” Kanji said, glancing at the train and at the bags on the platform at Souji and Rise's feet. “Can't believe you guys gotta go already.”

“Yeah,” Chie said. Yosuke was standing behind her, his arms draped around her, and she squeezed his wrist with her left hand. A small diamond gleamed from the gold band on her third finger.. “I mean, I know it's been like over a month, but it's like you both just got here!”

“I know,” Souji said, “but my semester starts in a few days. I have to go check in at school, get settled at my parents' house again.”  _ And if I'm lucky I might actually get to meet them again _ , he decided not to say.

“And I've got a lot of promises to keep,” Rise said. “The only way I could get them to put the concert back together so quickly was to promise my manager I'd go back on tour by the end of this month.” She turned to Souji. “I'm just glad I get to take the first part of the trip with you.”

Souji smiled. “Me too.”

“That concert was totally awesome!” Teddie said.“You're gonna come back and do another one, right?” He stretched out the front of his T-shirt, displaying a stylized caricature of Rise singing and dancing with a microphone. "I gotta get more RIsette shirts!"

"I'm sure they'd go well with all the Risette shorts and Risette wristwatches you bought," Rise said. "If I came out with a line of shoes you'd probably end up paying for my apartment all by yourself!"

"Well he might as well pay for someone's," Yosuke said. "He hasn't paid me his part of the rent in three months."

"I paid for us to go to the concert!" Teddie said.

"I gave you those tickets for free!" Rise said, putting her fists to her hips. "And the limousine ride, too!"

"But I delivered them!" Teddie said. "That counts for something, right?"

"Speaking of the concert, though," Yosuke said, "it definitely helped bring people back to town. But, I kinda think we're getting a real rep for crazy stuff happening, too. People wanna see the freak storms, and go visit the 'Destroyed Shrine'.” There was a bark at their feet. “And you're getting lots of donations from that, aren't you?” Margaret and Teddie, with their remarkable ability to understand Oinari even while in her fox form, had relayed to them all about her exile to Earth. Despite their new distrust of all things having to do with the gods, they had welcomed her as one of them, and done their part to help take care of her.

Oinari nodded solemnly.

“They did a really good job of restoring it, by the way,” Chie said. “I think that 'anonymous' donation helped some.” She winked at Rise. “And speaking of donations, you still owe me for that library book you lost.”

“What?” Rise said. “I paid you back for that like a month ago!”

“Anyway,” Yukiko said, interrupting. “I'm glad you were able to transfer your credits to Tokyo U., Souji. Having you all the way across the ocean – well, I think we can all agree it wasn't great.”

“Well,” Souji said, shrugging, “I've seen enough of America, I think. I'd rather be home. Or, a lot closer to it, at least.”

“You'll always have a home here,” Ryotaro said.

“And a room, too,” Nanako said. “I'll try not to take it over this time.” The three of them laughed.

“So what do you have planned after you graduate?” Taro said.

“I'm not really sure,” Souji said. “I've got an internship lined up for this semester, so maybe I'll stay there for a while, get a few years under my belt.”

“A few years with trips back to Inaba, of course!” Chie said.

“Don't worry, I'll make sure he comes back,” Rise said. “I may be doing a lot of traveling for a while, but don't think I won't come back to drag you here!” She poked him in the chest with her index finger.

“I don't think it'll come to that,” Souji said, “but thanks for the offer.” He kissed her cheek.

“Know what, Rise-chan? I'm  _ so _ glad you fixed your hair!” Teddie said.

“Me too,” Nanako said. “The short blond thing just didn't work for you.”

Rise smiled and brushed her fingers through her now-red, shoulder length locks. “Thanks. I've got an image to keep up. Plus I got sick of everyone calling me 'blondie'. It's gonna be a while before it really grows out, though. These're just extensions.”

“Well, duh!” Chie said. “We kinda figured that out when it got so long overnight!”

“Really?” Yosuke said. “I thought she just took a lot of vitamins.”

Chie jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “Dork.”

“So,” Yosuke said, wincing from her blow, “Taro-kun, how 'bout you? You said you were thinking about moving.”

“What?” Kanji said. “Really? When'd you say that?”

Taro shrugged. “I don't know. My dad's still trying to get me to take over the family business, but I'm not sure I really want to.”

“My sympathies,” Yukiko said.

Taro bowed his head to her. “I'm still thinking about it, but I'm also thinking about just going away somewhere, starting again. Not too far away, though. There are some places in Japan where my name's not mud.”

“But what of Margaret?” Naoto said, speaking up for the first time since she and Kanji had arrived. “Have you seen her?”

Taro shook his head. “Not since she left. I'm – I guess I'm kind of worried about her, but she promised she'd be fine. I think she was telling the truth, but I've...” he frowned, “...got a feeling I won't be seeing her again.”

“'Summoned', you said,” Yukiko said. “You don't suppose by her 'master'? The mysterious one she wouldn't tell us about?”

“I think that was it,” Souji said. “I, um, got called into the Velvet Room last night. While I was sleeping, remember about that?”

“Aww!” Teddie said. “I wanted to go back there again too! It just - felt nice.”

“Sorry, I think that might've been the last time for us.” He shrugged. “Igor didn't say anything about her being in trouble, but I hope she's all right.”

“I appreciate your worry, but it is not necessary.” They all turned to see Margaret step onto the platform. She looked impeccable, no hair out of place, and every seam straight, though her arms were conspicuously empty. Neither Souji nor Taro had seen her looking this perfect since she had first left the Velvet Room.

Taro ran up to her. “Margaret! What happened?”

“I was welcomed back,” she said, her face and voice the model of serenity. “My master decided that I had performed a great service for this world, in helping forestall the Heavenly Civil War, as it is apparently being called. Also, someone spoke on my behalf and convinced him that I had 'learned my lesson'.”

“Igor,” Souji said.

“Yes, and also my brother.”

“What?” Teddie said. “Brother?”

“You've got a brother, too?” Nanako said. “But you never tho...said anything about him.”

“It had been a long time since I'd seen him, as he has spent a very long time in another thread of existence, much farther removed from this one.”

“Wow,” Rise said. “Well, congrats, I guess! What're you doing now?”

“I have a mission,” Margaret said. “I believe I mentioned the thread where we once did battle?”

“Only like a million times,” Chie said.

“I am to return there and fulfill the same role as I did here, for the same battle we all fought.”

“The same battle, in another universe?” Naoto said. “You're saying that Amaterasu and Susano-O are trying this all again in that other universe?”

“Yes, and no. That thread's gods are indeed taking the same actions as here. In fact, as we speak, that thread's Souji-san is waking up to his first full day in Inaba, after having learned his friends can no longer remember him. I am to be there to help that thread's Taro-san learn of his Personas and, hopefully, things will work out there at least as well as they did here.”

“Oh,” Taro said. He nodded thoughtfully, though frowning a little more deeply than normal. “So, then, I guess you and I...?”

Margaret stepped close to him. “You will always be close to my heart, Taro Namatame, and not only because of the life essence we have shared. I promise you that, if it is ever possible again, I will come to see you, in person, like this.” She took his shoulders in her hands, pulled him to her, and kissed him deeply. Taro was a bit surprised at first, though pleasantly so, and after the initial shock gave himself to it. He was even more surprised, and a bit embarrassed, to feel her tongue play at his lips, but after another second he reciprocated.

There were a few hoots and hollers from the team, and Teddie said, “All right, Taro!”

As the kiss continued, Yosuke looked away and started shielding his eyes. “Jeez, guys, get a room or something.”

Chie turned her head slightly toward Yosuke and whispered, “Don't they need to come up for air at some point?”

“Hope Yukiko still remembers her CPR.”

"Don't  _ even _ joke about that."

Nanako knew she was supposed to be embarrassed in watching this very public display of affection, but she could not help but watch with a broad grin on her face. For all the pain they had experienced together, it had served to bring them all closer than they had ever been before. Some, it seemed, had grown closer than others.

After the kiss finally ended, Margaret backed away. “No matter how many Taro Namatames I may meet in my service to Philemon, you shall always be the one that I truly love.”

“Philemon?” Ryotaro said.

Margaret drew her fingers to her lips. “Forgive me, I misspoke. Anyway, I must go, for I have much traveling to do, and many trials before me. As do you all.” She smiled. “Or, rather, your other selves whom I am going to meet shortly.”

“Excuse me, Margaret-san?” Naoto said. “May I speak with you for a moment? Privately?”

“Of course, Naoto-san,” Margaret said. Naoto looked back to Kanji, who nodded. The two of them stepped away from the group, and while the others' conversations turned to congratulations and affectionate cat-calls for Taro, Nanako kept her eyes trained on Naoto.

Naoto cleared her throat. “I must ask you a favor. If possible, is there a way you can help my other self? Knowing what you know now, I mean. Can you stop her from – from being Susano-O's pawn? I know it's my own past, and it's...” She sighed. “It's something I have to live with for the rest of my life. But if there's a way that I – she – this other me – can be spared this...”

“I promise you, I will do everything I can,” Margaret said. “All with this other thread is not exactly as it is here, and events may well unfold – differently.”

“I suppose I can ask no more than that,” Naoto said. She bowed her head. “Thank you, Margaret-san, and may your travels...” she glanced back over at Taro, who was stealing his own glances back to Margaret, “may they bring you happiness.” With another bow, she returned to Kanji's side, passing Souji and Rise on their own way to Margaret.

“Hey,” Souji said, “listen, before you go, I just wanted to say...thanks. I mean it. You – pretty much gave up everything to help me, and there's nothing I can do to even begin to pay that back.”

“Then you should – how do you say – 'pay it forward',” Margaret said. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Consider it my gift for all you have done for me.”

Rise bit her lower lip. Margaret, seeing this, said, “Oh, forgive me.” She kissed Rise's cheek as well, and Rise gasped. “Take good care of each other. And also, if you could...” She glanced over at Taro, who was still trying to pretend to not be looking at her, “Please watch over Taro. My only regret in returning to my master's service is that I may never see him again, and I want to ensure he is happy.”

“Well, we'll...do our best,” Souji said. “I'm thinking we're all gonna be a lot closer than we ever were.” He glanced to Rise, and she smiled.

“I think so too," Rise said. "Actually, I  _ know _ it.”

Margaret nodded. “Then goodbye, dear friends, and may all the rest of your days be peaceful.” She turned and walked away. Souji and Rise watched her go. There was a flash of blue in the sky and they both glanced up at it. When they looked back down, Margaret was nowhere to be seen.

“She sure knows how to make an exit,” Rise said.

“She's definitely unusual,” Souji said, taking her hand.

They had just started back to the group when the overhead speaker chimed. “ _ Train fifty-seven from Yasoinaba Station to Tokyo. Departure in three minutes. All riders please board now.” _

“No, I thought we had more time,” Nanako said, rushing over to Souji and hugging him. “It's already time for you to go!”

“Sorry,” Souji said. “You guys have no idea how hard it is to leave.”

“Yeah,” Rise said. “Maybe some day we'll just move here.”

“Buh – wha...?” Souji sputtered, turning to her. She giggled, followed by several of the others. “ _ W-we'll _ move...?”

“Souji, you dog,” Kanji said, bumping his shoulder with his fist.

“What?” Souji said. “No, it's not like that.”  _ Yet _ , he thought, a small smile crawling up his lips despite his effort to suppress it.

“But you  _ want  _ it to be,” Chie said. Souji felt his cheeks grow hot and he turned away. “It's all over your face. Don't try to hide it!”

“You guys better come back,” Nanako said. “I mean it. I will come and hunt you both down if you don't!” She squeezed Souji more tightly.

“Cross my heart, hope to d...” Souji started. Hesitating for a second and clearing his throat, he said, “Promise.”

“Me too, Nanako-chan,” Rise said. Nanako reached out and pulled her into the hug.

“We'll throw another big party at the Inn when you guys come back,” Yukiko said.

Teddie gasped. “With ice cream?”

Yukiko laughed. “Every flavor.”

“Seriously, though,” Yosuke said, “don't be a stranger, huh? You got my IM address and everything, right?”

Souji nodded. “Don't forget to come back for my grand re-opening, too,” Kanji said. “Bigger and better than ever.”

“And don't forget to call,” Naoto said. “ _ Don't _ forget.” It was probably intended to sound innocuous to the others, but Souji knew what she meant. Not long after they had returned, the two of them freshly resurrected, Naoto had crawled into her shell, not speaking to or seeing anyone, not even allowing the Inn's housekeeping to enter her room. After a week Kanji had eventually coaxed her out of hiding, and after another few days convinced her to see the others again. She had rather quickly mended with the others, but her initial meeting with Souji was perhaps the most strained. They had found nothing they could say to each other, nothing to even begin to bring sense to what they had experienced. When their souls had intertwined within Nanako's body, they had shared each other's thoughts, feelings, and memories completely. Souji instantly learned of the full extent of the torture she had suffered under Susano-O's control, particularly near the end, when she kept breaking through and he piled on the cruelty to force her control back down. Any animosity he'd felt for her over what he'd thought was her betrayal had vaporized at that moment.

Likewise, she'd felt his persistent pain: of always having to be “on”, of almost losing his friends both to the Memflies and in battle, of losing his very body and it being used to attack them in much the same way as Naoto's was used. They'd eventually managed a few short conversations, but had never found a way to broach the subject about which they both truly wished to speak. He knew that, in asking him to call her, she wanted to talk about it, but only when they had privacy, something they had not been afforded since they'd first become friends years ago. He wasn't sure if she was afraid Kanji or Rise, or  _ both _ , would become jealous, or if it was just the fact that, among all the others, they two had inadvertently shared the most intimate parts of themselves with each other, and that it was simply something nobody else could understand.

“You bet,” he said. Naoto smiled politely.

“ _ Last call for train fifty-seven from Yasoinaba Station to Tokyo. Departure in one minute. All riders please board now.” _

Rise grabbed Souji's arm. “C'mon, grab your bag!” He followed her onto the train, snatching up his bag on the way. They immediately took an adjacent window seat, Rise sliding it open and sticking her arm out to wave. “Bye, guys! I'm gonna miss you so much!” She started to cry. “Lots and lots!”

“Me too,” Souji said.

“Hey, cut that stuff out, Rise-chan!” Kanji said, sniffling once.

“You promise you'll come back this time?” Yukiko said. “Truly?”

Souji and Rise both started to speak at once. They stopped and looked at each other. She nudged him with her elbow, and he said, “If I don't, you have my permission to come tie me up and drag me here in the trunk of Chie's car.”

“But it doesn't have a trunk!” Chie laughed. “It's a hatchback!”

“Just tie him to the hood!” Yosuke said.

The train jostled and started to move. Rise and Souji stayed at the window, and the others started walking alongside it. “You keep leaving like this and I won't need to work out anymore!” Chie said.

The train accelerated, and they all broke into a run. “Try not to work too hard!” Teddie said. “Gotta stop and smell the ice cream some time, right?”

“You bet!” Rise said.

“Don't forget to call,” Ryotaro said, falling behind the others as he slowed to a jog. “Let us know how you're doing.” Oinari keeping pace at his feet, barked her agreement.

“And you'd better call each one of us!” Yosuke said. “None of that 'tell Yosuke I said hi' stuff!”

“Good luck you two crazy lovebirds!” Taro said as he also fell behind the others.

“Taro-kun!” Rise said.

“Come back as often as you can!” Yukiko said.

“I will!” Souji said.

“Me too!” Rise added.

The window passed the end of the platform and the others stopped there, still waving. Rise and Souji waved back for several moments, but then finally pulled their arms back in. Rise plastered herself to the window for a few seconds longer, watching the team, the platform, and the station grow smaller in the distance. With a sigh, she slid toward Souji and into the seat, taking him down with her. She laid her head in his lap, and he could see she was still crying. He took her hand in his and squeezed it. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I'm gonna miss everyone so much,” she said. “I already do.”

“Yeah,” Souji said.

“You most of all,” she said.

“Yeah,” Souji said again.

“Is that all you're gonna say? 'Cause it'll be a real boring trip.”

“Yeah.” She slugged him in the arm, and he laughed. “Okay, okay. This better?”

“Yeah.” She scrunched her nose at him, and then wiped some of her tears away. “I'm really glad I'm coming with you this last little bit alone, though.” She slipped off her sandals and put her feet up on the seat.

"Comfortable?"

"Absolutely," she said, nestling her head a little deeper into his lap.

Souji glanced out the window, seeing the water tower that, over a month ago, he had watched crawl past him in the other direction. That time he had felt far more anxiety, and little hope. He looked back down at Rise. He felt a brief sting, wondering if this long-distance relationship would work. Maybe it would, if he didn't somehow manage to screw it up this time.

Rise smiled. “What?”

“Um, just thinking. You're much more fun to look at than the scenery.”

She placed a hand at the back of his neck. She pulled down, and he bent as far forward as his back would allow. She pulled herself up by his neck, putting some extra strain on it, but he tried to ignore the discomfort. They kissed.

It lasted only a second, thankfully, for he was afraid his back and neck would give out after too much longer. She returned to his lap and released his head, allowing him to stretch his spine back out. “So,” he said, “you probably have to get right to the airport after we stop, huh?”

“What?” Rise said. “No way. I'll have like five hours before I have to be a the airport. I'm gonna come with you, meet your parents, see your new school, maybe put on a little of the Risette charm for your classmates,” she winked. “Scare off all the girls who'll try to take you away.” She raised a seductive eyebrow. “Maybe find a nice quiet place we can go make out for a while before I have to catch my plane.”

Souji blinked with surprise, and his cheeks grew warm. Rise laughed. “You are  _ so _ cute when you blush.”

He absently rubbed his cheeks, trying to wipe away the redness. “You're so cute all the time.”

“You know, I hear that kind of thing a lot from guys, but you're the only one where, when you say it, it really means something to me.”

He smiled. For the first time he could remember, he felt happy. No, better than that. Contented. He ran his fingers gently through her hair. “Then I guess we'll make it a day to remember.”  _ We'll make all kinds of memories _ , he thought, holding her in his arms.  _ Ones that'll be so strong that nobody, nothing, could ever take them away. _

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. Both of them looked at it. It was taken the night after they had returned from Susano-O's realm, during the party at the Inn. They were all in their yukata and kimonos, and there was a smile on nearly every face. Naoto had been the only solemn one, but he hadn't begrudged her. Despite her depressed mood she was still there, completing the team. Even though she had sequestered herself in her room shortly after this picture was taken, he was sure the party, being with all her friends in an atmosphere of celebration, had helped bring her out of her depression much more quickly than she would have otherwise.

“We're gonna have lots more days like that,” Rise said, running her finger over the photo. “I mean, like the party, not the...well...”

“Yeah,” Souji said. “Lots more.” He looked down at her again, stroking her cheek. “Lots, lots more.”

As they kissed again, he swore to himself that whatever happened, whatever he became as he grew older, he would never forget to make time for those he loved. He would not be a simulacrum of a friend; he would be the real thing, now and forever. Because now he understood: love and friendship were the only things that really mattered. They gave life meaning, and with the new one that his friends had given him, he swore to live it to the fullest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the others ran alongside the train taking away her Big Bro and, if she could believe the feeling she got from them, her eventual Big  _ Sis _ , she fell back. Something was tugging at the back of her mind, and there was a tingle at her thigh. She felt in her pocket and pulled her Persona card, examining it. She had kept it on her ever since returning from Susano-O's realm, though it always felt slightly cool to the touch no matter how long she kept it in her pocket. On its face was the faded image of a man, clothed in armor over his otherwise sparse robe, with his front covered by his four massive white-feathered wings, and long white hair flowing from a helmet that almost completely covered his face. The image was so dim it was only visible if viewed at an angle.

“Things will be better from now on.” She turned to see the ghost of her mother standing beside her. Her heart made a couple rapid beats. “It is over.”

“It...was supposed to be over last time,” Nanako said. “Six years ago. Then your brother and Loki came back and started screwing with our heads. What's next, now?”

“Well, I can say it will be a long time before any gods interfere with humanity again,” Amaterasu said, maintaining both the form and voice of Chisato Dojima.

This was not the type of individual Nanako wished to equate with her mother's face. “Then why do you keep coming back?” she asked. “And why do you look like my mom again? How many times to I have to tell you to just leave us alone?” She glanced at the others, who had just reached the end of the platform. They had stopped moving, their arms stuck out in the air in mid-wave.

“Our conversation will be private,” Amaterasu said. “We have all the time you need. I thought you might be more willing to speak with me if I returned to this form. I know you have many questions, and despite your anger toward me you truly desire answers.”

Nanako frowned and shook her head. “Why don't you just go to Hell? What makes you think I'll believe anything you say, anyway?”

“Nothing, but you do not have to,” Amaterasu said. She touched Nanako's shoulder, but Nanako pulled away in disgust. “You need only ask.”

“Just go away.”

“Not before you ask one question,” Amaterasu said.

“Why do you keep acting like you care so much?”

“You may not believe it, but I do care. I care for all humanity. I care for you, and your friends. I care for all godhood, and I care enough to do everything I can to ensure my fellow gods allow you to face your own destiny however you see fit.” She touched Nanako's cheek, and while the girl pulled away from the touch, the movement was less sure than before. “I cared enough to allow you to channel me, to defeat my brother, and to give you the means to revive your friends.”

“Uh uh,” Nanako said, shaking her head again. “Nope, I don't buy it. I didn't remember this until after, but when you were inside me I saw what was in your head. You don't care about us. You're only worried about keeping your empire together.”

Amaterasu sighed. “Forgive my crudeness, but you are as a flat piece of paper trying to understand all the round world. You only saw the tiniest fraction of my thoughts, because with your limited, human mind that is all you are capable of perceiving. If only I could make you understand.”

“Why  _ don't _ you make me understand? Just wave your magic wand or something and  _ make  _ me.”

Amaterasu sighed. “It is as I told you before: we gods are not all-powerful.”

“Right,” Nanako said. “You know, I've done some studying about you. You're the bringer of life, right? I mean, flowers spring up when you walk and all that crap. You could've just brought Big Bro and Naoto-senpai back without us giving up our own life force, couldn't you?”

Amaterasu smiled. “Perhaps, but their lives as they are now will be much more fulfilling, with you as a part of them, and they a part of you. The tiny amount of life force you each sacrificed will not be missed; in fact, you have all long since replenished it. I can guarantee that the separation you have experienced over the recent years will not be repeated. For the rest of your lives, you will all be close, and each will complete the others. You will understand this more as you mature, and as your tribulations become a distant memory.”

Nanako sighed and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Look, if I just ask my questions will you go away?”

“You have already asked several, and had them answered,” Amaterasu said, “but I placed no artificial limit on them. Proceed.”

Nanako couldn't be sure if she was being sarcastic or serious, “Fine, then tell me this: why'd you pick  _ me _ ? Why not someone else, like Yukiko-senpai? She's the one that loved you the most, I guess. Before all this, anyway. What's so special about me?”

“Because of your strong mind,” Amaterasu said. “As I told you before.”

“Strong mind?” Nanako said. “Wasn't that why Susano-O chose Naoto-senpai?”

“You and Naoto are the strongest-willed of your friends. My brother only knew of Naoto's mind, while I was able to keep yours hidden until it was too late for him to take you himself, rather than Loki. It was – a fair bit of fortune that Loki did not reveal that bit of information to him. What you need to understand is that my brother wished to make the loudest statement to all the gods, and indeed he did, though not as he intended. He showed them why he is not a fit leader, in his hunger for power and his viciousness. That, combined with your and your friends' loss of powers, has quelled their uprising, forestalling a war.”

“So you just lied to me about the whole 'fulfilled life' thing. Where we'd all be happier with having pieces of ourselves in each other. It was all so you could show the other gods we didn't have our Personas anymore.” Nanako crossed her arms. “That about sum it up?”

“No, I simply gave you the reason that most benefited you. The second reason benefits all of existence.”

Nanako shook her head. “You haven't made yourself any friends down here, and the more you keep talking the less I like you. If that's even possible.”

“I know, and I am sorry, but my responsibility goes far beyond you and your friends. Whether you believe it or not, though, they are best off as they are now.”

“I don't know,” Nanako said. “It's...kinda hard not to tell them. I mean, their powers, the Shadow World, it was all a part of their lives for so long. They say they're happy to have it all behind them, but I can feel it deep down – they all feel like they're missing something.”

“They have each other,” Amaterasu said. “They have their lives, and their futures. Soon enough, if necessary, they will each fill the missing part of their lives with something far more fulfilling.”

“And me?” Nanako said. “Why can I still hear inside their heads? Why isn't my Persona card totally blank like everyone else's? I didn't want this. I  _ begged _ you to take it all away. Are you pissed at me 'cause I attacked you?”

“I, unlike my brother, am above such pettiness. You retain your power for a reason. When the time is right, it will be up to you to reawaken them all.”

“What?” Nanako said. “ _ Awaken _ them all? You mean I can give them their powers back?”

“Or, you can choose a new team and awaken theirs, if you see fit,” Amaterasu said. “You have been given a unique opportunity, my dear child of the greens. You have the power to awaken anyone to their Personas. Even yourself. You, the 'True Zero' as you called yourself, will lead them to defend all of humanity. Perhaps even more.”

“I still can't figure out how much of what you're saying is true and how much is bullshit,” Nanako said.

“In the end, you will see whether or not I am being truthful,” Amaterasu said. “However, I have no need to lie to you about this.”

“Okay, fine,” Nanako said, waving her hand. “Say you're telling the truth about me being able to 'reawaken' them. What's to stop me from doing it now?”

“Because you care too much for them to put them through the resulting firestorm,” Amaterasu said. “The civil war has only been temporarily postponed, as it is now. It will take much work to undo the damage my brother and his supporters caused, but your willingly giving up your powers has taken away their chief ammunition, that humanity is motivated to grow powerful enough to challenge and destroy the gods.”

“What do I care about your politics?” Nanako said. “I don't owe you anything. What makes you think  _ you _ can trust  _ me _ ?”

“If you re-power yourselves too soon, war will quickly follow, and I can guarantee they will bring it down upon Earth. Innocents will die before it is done, and I may not be able to protect them as I did from my brother this time.” She knelt down and stared Nanako straight in the eye, and as she did so her face reverted from that of Nanako's mother to that she recognized as Heaven's ruler Amaterasu, the one she had come to know and distrust. “If they win, the survivors of humanity will be subjugated under them, instead of left to your own devices as now. Do you wish to be responsible for those deaths? For humanity becoming slaves?”

Nanako's stomach quivered. She could see the fire in Amaterasu's eyes, and despite her distrust of the goddess, she knew this was not open to negotiation. In that gaze she could see the consequences, and knew she wasn't ready to fight this fight. She didn't believe she ever would be.

“I see I am understood,” Amaterasu said. She started to fade from view, and Nanako could see the others, still frozen, through her. “However, if war is inevitable, I hope it will not return within your lifetime. I wish for you to live the rest of your life without worry of all this, if at all possible.”

“Not likely,” Nanako said. “And don't expect to see us around any shrines, or to hear any prayers from us ever again.”

“I would be foolish to expect that,” Amaterasu said. “I can only hope that, one day, you will truly understand why I acted as I did, and why it was for the greatest good.” And then she was gone.

“I hope I never get that cold-hearted,” Nanako muttered. “I'd rather be dead.”

“Nanako!” Ryotaro called. Nanako snapped back to the present and saw that the group was all walking toward her.

“Hey, Nanako-chan!” Chie said. “What're you doing over there all by yourself?”

Nanako tried to force a smile. “Oh, just thinking.”

“You miss your Big Bro, huh?” Kanji said.

It was true, she did. And yet, that was not what vexed her. While it was far less powerful than before, she could still feel their minds, their thoughts, their feelings. She had asked to be rid of these powers, but it seemed that request was denied, apparently for some future battle. It was not something she anticipated with any excitement.

“Well, come on, Nana-chan!” Teddie said. “We're going for topsicles!” He jumped up and down, cheering.

“Man, you'd get excited about going to the dry cleaners,” Yosuke said.

“You mean we're going there too? Yyyeeesss!”

With a smile, Nanako joined the group and they walked off the platform, the various conversations trivial and as warm as the late-July air about them. After they left the station, but before piling into Ryotaro's and Chie's cars, Nanako said, “Hey, Dad, can we talk later?”

Ryotaro looked down at her, lines of concern starting to etch his face. “Sure. What about? Everything all right?”

“Yeah, everything's...” She thought for a second.  _ Yes, yes it really is, at least for now. _ “Everything's great. I just want to talk. About things. You know, you, me. Uh, Mom.” She smiled sadly. “I wanna talk about Mom.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ _ Hello, my daughter. I can see you've been busy.” _

A deferential bow. “ _ It has been a trying time, father, but I believe we have come through with the best possible result.” _

“ _ Indeed? You will forgive me if I disagree.” _

A bemused tilt to the head. “ _ In what way? _

“ _ My son, your brother, lies in chains, atoning for sins not entirely his own.” _

“ _ He murdered a mortal in cold blood. He led an insurrection that could very well have brought down the heavens and all of creation. Surely those sins are his own.” _

“ _ And you goaded him into them.” _

A shocked pause. “ _ I beg your pardon?” _

The father shook his head. “ _ Do not lie to me, I beg you. This is not what I hoped for you. You have always been such a benevolent ruler, deserving of your reign over Heaven. You have made mistakes before, costly mistakes, but never have I seen you as cold and callous as you are now.” _

“ _ Father, I'm afraid I do not...” _

“ _ You used those mortals, the ones I chose, in a dangerous game that could have turned out very badly for all.” _

“ _ And yet I succeeded.” _

A sigh. “ _ And so you have, in more ways than you know. You have succeeded in caring more for the forest than for the trees. Willing to sacrifice pieces to protect the whole, with no thought to the cost to the whole for the loss of its pieces. And all the while you remain in that throne, the secrets that could remove you from it tucked safely away.” _

The daughter put a hand to her mouth. “ _ Father, why do you hurt me so?” _

“ _ Because you must hear this. Because despite the change this insurrection has caused in you, I believe there is still hope for you.”  _ He turned away. “ _ I chose neutrality in this feud between you, because I hoped one of you would choose compassion. I was wrong.”  _ He glanced back at her. “ _ Had you asked before, I would have passed along this wisdom. Now you have lost that privilege. Do not call me for my assistance, or my approval, for the actions you take from now on. I know everything, but I will tell nothing. As important as a hard-learned lesson would be to you, it is not worth the countless billions of lives that my revelations would likely cost. But you must live with the consequences of your actions.” _

“ _ What – what consequences?” _

“ _ The knowledge of what you have become, and of my disapproval. The web of lies you must maintain, because you cannot trust any others with your secrets."  _ He turned to face her fully.  _ "If you are still a decent being, and not fully corrupted by your station, these will still matter to you.” _ The father closed his eyes. “ _ I wish to believe that they do.” _ He vanished silently into the clouds.

The daughter sat slowly into her throne, her chin resting on her hands. Never once had her father spoken to her this way. Never once had he told her he was disappointed with her, not even when her brooding had once caused darkness and death to descend upon creation. But he couldn't be right, could he? She had saved both Heaven and Earth from a bloodbath.

But he  _ was _ right, she knew. He was always right. She had played the humans in the same way her brother and the trickster had. The only difference was that, as she had done so, all the while she'd convinced herself that she was  _ not _ doing it. For the first time, she truly contemplated the cost of what she had done. The cost to her, the cost to everything and everyone. And yet, as she thought back, she could find no point in time where she would have chosen different actions. That, perhaps, made it real for her.

Her father was right about her. She was becoming a callous and cold leader. She had once been so loved by other gods and by humanity. What would she be now? Could she cover these lies for eternity? Would she lose her hard-earned trust? Would she still be respected? Would she be feared?

For the first time since she had first learned of the insurrection, she truly saw her actions from another's perspective and understood that simply being the ruler of Heaven did not make her infallibly good. And yet, she had set events into motion that would require even further acts of cold calculation rather than compassion or love, merely to prevent further deaths. She would have to keep her brother imprisoned and silenced forever. Her former friend would be trapped, on Earth and in animal form, for all eternity if she could not sustain her silence. Any friends that remained she would have to keep at arm's length, lest they learn of her actions and throw all the heavens into chaos. If only she had thought of this before taking action. If only she had thought to ask her father's sage advice before it was too late. Perhaps he would have found a better path.

She was beyond the point where she could second-guess herself. She could only move forward, and continue holding her Heaven together by any means available to her. In her leadership she was, now, truly alone. After all these eons, she had none to whom she could turn, none she could trust, and it was all her doing. A single tear ran down her face.

On Earth, a chill, cleansing rain washed away humanity's overflowing bitterness. Just for that one day, the tears of the sun's remorse set aside hatred and greed. Just for that one day, there was true peace.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I ever wrote where, even 10 years since I finished it, I’m still very satisfied with how it came it. Now, I know there has been a LOT of new mythology, both directly and indirectly related to Persona 4 specifically, but I still feel as if this fic stands on its own, without needing to be “updated” per se.
> 
> I do still have, somewhere in the back of my mind, plans for a sequel. How that will play out, and how much of the “newer” mythology I will incorporate, if any at all, is all up in the air. In the meantime, though, please enjoy what I still to this day call my “first novel”!


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